The Inevitable Crisis
by Keep Calm and Be Ninja
Summary: Autumn takes it upon herself to finish what she started, fueled by her mentor's death. But leaving all she loves has become increasingly difficult, and disturbing visions plague her due to her reopened connection to the Planet. Can she alter what destiny has written? Or is the fate awaiting everyone inevitable?
1. Adjustments

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 1-Adjusting**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII CC **

Keep Calm: So, on to the Second Installment of the Search for Freedom series!

Autumn: Angeal...

Zack: *whimpers*

Keep Calm: Yeah, I know, very sad :( I always hated the fact that Angeal died. So this is going to be a very sad chapter, kind of, and a little bittersweet. Bits of humor (I hope) and please do not hate me for updating sporadically.

Oh yeah, and the man mentioned when Angeal talks about as his father is whom I suspect Gillian married after Hollander, and wanted a good example for Angeal in his life instead of a twisted scientist. The Buster Sword had to come from someone, right? And Gillian said that the sword has been in the family for generations. So why not his side of the family? It's less likely to be Gillian's side, but you never know I suppose...

Also, in this second story I will only have 1st POV for Autumn, and 3rd POV for the rest. Having so many 1st POV's is a little dizzying for me, so this way it's a little easier.

Autumn: I present Chapter 1~Adjusting

_"Grief is not as heavy as guilt, but it takes more away from you." -_Veronica Roth, _Insurgent_

* * *

_"...and that is why you must hold fast to your dreams. Dreams, and honor." Angeal lectured, his front facing the gushing fountain in Sector 8._

_It was late in the day, when the sea of bustling Midgar residents thinned to a steady trickle. __The brunette sitting on the bench yawned quietly. "Yeah..."_

_"Autumn, you need to keep listening when I'm telling you something important. This is the fifth time." Stern, glowing blue eyes rounded on her bored form, her chin beginning to slide from underneath her propped hand._

_"Right..."_

_"_Autumn_." Angeal sharpened his tone, his muscled arms crossing over each other._

_Suddenly her bright sapphire eyes jumped to life, clouding with guilt. "Oh, sorry Angeal. What...what were you saying?"_

_Another sigh escaped the esteemed SOLDIER's lips, his fingers rubbing his throbbing temples. "Things you clearly don't care about. Maybe I should just hand you over to Sephiroth and Genesis tomorrow."_

_Immediately the 3rd Class was on her knees, fingers laced tightly together as her puppy eyes gazed up at her mentor. "NO! Please, I'm sorry, I'll pay more attention!"_

_"Hmph, right. Like how you said you'd pay attention the last five times?" He lightly teased, staring towards HQ._

_Autumn's face flushed in response. "You've been keeping count?! What kind of...ugh, okay, I know I haven't been paying attention lately, but it's all kind of the same now."_

_Angeal snapped his attention back to his student. "It isn't about repetition, it's about getting principles through that thick skull of yours. If you really want to become 1st, you have to have dreams and honor."_

_"But _why_? Why do I need them? I mean, I became SOLDIER without dreams, and I don't really understand honor, so...why is it important? Can't we just get to techniques and materia control already?" The 3rd questioned, shooting up from her begging position. Strands of hair began to free themselves from her ponytail, a few stray passer-byes glancing at them either oddly or in rapt admiration._

_It wasn't every day they saw a revered 1st and his pupil-who was also the only female to make it into SOLDIER so far-out in public._

_"You really want to hear the back story that comes along with this explanation?" Angeal quirked a brow, the corners of his mouth tilting upward._

_"Sure, why not?" The brunette shrugged, seating herself on the bench once more._

_"You're definitely one of my rarer students to be more fascinated with my stories than with my lectures."_

_"What can I say? Stories are waaayy more interesting than listening to people rant."_

_"I never agreed _not _to__ hand you off tomorrow." Angeal pointed out._

_"You mean ditch me so you can go home and water your plants?" _

_"You know, sitting here and telling you a story is completely optional for me. I could just make you keep fighting yesterday's data while I sit and read a good book." _

_"...I'm sorry, please begin." The brunette replied, sobering._

_"*sigh* It started back when I still lived in Banora. As you already know, I was poor, so resources were very limited. I grew to appreciate what I had, and my dreams of living a better life, and a way to support my mother, kept my determination burning. If I hadn't held onto my dreams, I wouldn't be here right now." _

_The brunette's face twisted in confusion. "So...hold onto your dreams, and you can achieve anything, and it's also a great motivator. Got it. What about the honor part?"_

_Angeal raked a hand through his swept back hair. "My father was a soldier - before the program SOLDIER was established - a long time ago, but before that he was just a simple blacksmith. To obtain his rank, he didn't pull any strings or cheat his way in. He kept his honor and worked hard at it. Honor, in my family, is highly valued. It is what the Buster Sword represents. _

_"My father inherited it from his father, and so on, and ensured it never went through wear, tear or rust. Honor is something you should value, too. Someone who has no honor has no compassion or heart. You should always do what you feel is morally right, Autumn. Don't let others decide that for you. If I hadn't had my dreams and honor, my life would've probably been very different."_

_"So, I must remember I don't have to be indecisive."_

_"If that's all you got from that, you're officially as bad as Zack." _

_A smile played at Autumn's lips. "I'm kidding! Okay, so I should value honor because it defines me as myself. If I just follow what everyone else is doing, and just blend in, I'll begin to forget who I really am. And then the consequences later on could affect my life entirely, especially if I don't follow my dreams. Right?"_

_One of the corner's of Angeal's mouth curved upward in a smirk. "You're starting to get it. But you've still got a long ways to go."_

_Her cheeks puffed in protest. "What? I should be a 2nd by now! Zack's already one!"_

_"Zack's been training longer than you. And he just got promoted. You, on the other hand, are still pretty naive and learning the ropes. Anyways, we both need to go home for the day. Don't expect me to go easy on you tomorrow just because I shared a part of my past with you. You need the training."_

_"I know. I've been relying too heavily on hand-to-hand combat instead of my swordsmanship. I barely made it out of that situation with Harvey alive." Autumn sighed, blowing her segmented bangs out of her face._

_ Angeal chuckled, roughly rubbing the top of her head as he stood. She grunted in protest, swatting his hand away._

_"Ugh...night Angeal." The 3rd grumbled, beginning to walk the opposite direction where her apartment was located._

_"'Night. Remember: embrace your dreams. You need them if you want to accomplish anything."_

_"Yeah, yeah."_

* * *

**Location: Modeoheim en route to Midgar, Shinra HQ**

**Cloud**

The ride in the chopper was a dead quiet one. Cloud sat next to Autumn, watching to make sure she didn't faint or reopen her stitches again. When he finally managed to enter the room back in the bathhouse, the first thing he saw was Angeal on the ground.

It didn't really take a genius to figure out what'd happened, especially when the blonde saw the 1st's two pupils. It appeared Zack had been crying, and Autumn stood there dumbfounded. Well, regardless, he was alarmed when he saw blood trickling down Autumn's back. Her stitches reopened and she hadn't bothered to heal them, though they were already halfway there due to her enhancements. Cloud made her swallow a Hi-Potion to finish the healing process. It was still heavily scarred.

She was so uncoordinated by shock that Cloud ended up having to guide her by the hand. Her eyes were glossy and glazed over, but it was the emptiness in them he found the saddest.

He never knew Angeal really well: the man was practically a celebrity; but he knew he had the highest moral out of all the SOLDIERs. Cloud pictured it like losing his mom, understanding how they felt even if it was just to an extent.

Zack was too worn out emotionally to talk a lot. The blonde doubted he really wanted to, anyway. All they spoke about for just a few minutes was who was going to keep the Buster Sword. Autumn convinced Zack to take it, since she'd already gotten a commissioned sword from the deceased 1st.

After it was settled, both of them went silent.

When they reached HQ, Autumn didn't move. She stared down at her lap lifelessly, reeking of battle and toil. They buried Angeal in Modeoheim since there was no way to bring him back with them when Tseng finally managed to radio help last night. Autumn tried to convince him, but there were too many problems. A big one was how to get his body transferred without making a fuss.

Cloud gently nudged her side. "Sakura, we're back. We're at HQ."

"Right. Let's get this over with." She replied, her voice cold and dead as the door slid open.

The polluted smog entered Cloud's lungs, a rather instant reminder that he was in fact back in Midgar instead of the crisp, snowy expanse that was Modeoheim. Zack got up before she did, extending a hand to her when the blonde started to help her up.

"I'm fine."

She stood, trudging out the chopper ungracefully, her feet staggering for proper balance. Cloud hung back with Zack, wondering if his new friend needed anything. Unlike with the ravenette, the infantryman knew how Autumn worked.

"There she goes. I guess neither of us...really know how to deal with this yet." Zack tried to force a smile, the effort showing on his countenance.

"It's okay. I don't think anyone really knows how to handle these types of situations. You've just gotta take some time to sort it all out." Cloud said reassuringly.

Sarrel hopped out with Tseng in suit, striding down the roof with a slight limp. "Hey, what happens, happens. It sucks that Angeal's...well, you know...but I think he'd want you to keep on going as you normally do and smile like an idiot. I mean, that's why he gave you the Buster Sword, right?"

Zack glanced at the sword on his back, neck craning to spot the golden handle. "Yeah..." he paused. "...did you say I smile like an idiot?"

"Huh? Er...I've gotta meet up with my CO. I'm sure there's a debrief ahead. You too, Cloud. Glyphan doesn't like being waited on. And if he doesn't get his way, you _know_ he'll take it to the Sergeant!" Sarrel spoke quickly, jabbing at the button on the elevator.

"Crap, these things don't go fast enough!" The infantryman muttered, continuing to look at Zack over his shoulder nervously, glad to finally enter when a 'ding' sounded.

Normally, the ravenette would chase him down and bring him into a headlock until he took back what he said, of course all in good fun, but today...he wasn't up to it.

"I don't have an idiotic smile." Zack puckered his lips in protest.

Cloud looked apologetically at his friend. "Sorry Zack, but he's right...I mean, about the debrief. My CO insists that I should be 'punctual', or else I'll face the wrath of the Sergeant."

The ravenette waved a hand, attempting to lighten the dampened atmosphere. "Nah, it's nothing to worry about. I was an infantryman one time, too. Gaia, my CO was brutal. Don't get me started on my 'meetings' with Sergeant Second-Ice-Queen. I swear, if she and Sakura become friends, that'll be the day the world ends. Entering SOLDIER was the best day of my life."

"I hope I can join you someday..." Cloud trailed off, his voice remaining gentle and light.

"Don't worry, I know you can do it Cloud. Remember our conversation back at Modeoheim? You've just gotta believe in yourself." The 1st told him as encouragingly as possible after the recent events.

The blonde's bad habit of tucking his chin into his scarf resurfaced, eyes averting shyly from his confident comrade. "Thanks...but I think that'll be a long ways from now. Sorry I have to go so soon."

Zack shrugged. "Hey, this won't be the last time we meet up, right? And I already added you as a contact on my PHS. You did the same, too. So, if ya need anything or if something comes up, don't hesitate to let me know."

"I should be saying that to you, but thanks," Cloud edged a smile, his thumb jabbing at the down button for the elevator. "You coming?"

The ravenette scratched the back of his head. "Nah, I think I'll stay up here for a bit. You go on ahead."

Cloud failed to see the cheery facade drop as he turned his back to enter the elevator.

* * *

**Location: Shinra HQ - Sephiroth's Office**

**Autumn's POV**

I strutted down the various halls of HQ, poking my mask once in a while to make sure it was really there. Everything still felt unreal. On the way back to HQ I even thought back to a time when I was a 3rd with Angeal. I'd been so inexperienced back then, Angeal trained me as hard as I could manage. I grumbled about it at the time, but now I treasured it as a blessing. Ironic how that worked.

My feet guided me toward Sephy's office. I didn't see Kunsel nor Luxiere around. Maybe they already went home; it was early in the morning, after all. But I had to see if Sephiroth was still here. I had to break the news to him about...about Angeal. Sensing a shift in the atmosphere, I kept my guard up as I approached Sephy's office.

"Well, well. What do we have here? A late night visit to General Sephiroth's office? How scandalous...and so very like you."

That voice...didn't sound familiar. A 3rd Class, followed by a few others, emerged from the shadows. Messy light brown hair poked out from his helmet.

I stared at him blankly. "Do I know you?"

He blanched as his friends either got irritated or snickered. "You...you really don't remember?"

"Look, unless I've had a few missions with you, I won't remember your face. That's just how it is. Besides, you probably weren't worth remembering in the first place."

Scarlet pulsed into his cheeks. "Tch, I'll show you who's worth remembering! And I'll get payback for that punch across the face while I'm at it!"

Did I punch someone recently? Well, there was Hollander...uh...oh, right. Before I reached the Director's office, some guy ticked me off. I guessed this was him.

"Look, tonight of all nights isn't a good time. I have some business to discuss with Sephiroth, and you're in the way. I do recall saying something like, 'if you get in my way, someone might get hurt'. Do you really wanna see how true I am to my word?"

Someone tried to jump me from behind, which ended with me throwing the guy over my shoulder. I kicked him in the ribs for good measure. "That's enough! I'm sick of your childish behavior! If you can't take a few remarks, then return the uniform and walk away from this building. SOLDIER isn't the place for prideful sissies who whine about a little punch to the face; it's about discipline, loyalty, and strength. When you understand that, come back and be a real SOLDIER."

Most of the foolish, inexperienced 3rds before me colored red at my words.

"You bitch! Like you know what being a SOLDIER means, either! Always being so cold and demanding, like you own everyone! I bet no one would care if you mysteriously disappeared!" The 3rd exclaimed, ready to take me on.

"You'd be surprised, unfortunately."

I'd slipped into a fighting stance when the door to Sephy's office swung wide open, revealing the towering silver-haired General. And he didn't look at all pleased.

"What are you doing outside of my office?" His catlike cyan eyes narrowed into slits.

The 3rd and his friends nervously backed away. One of his friends locked eyes with him. "I-I thought you said Sephiroth was in the data room!"

"He was supposed to be!" The 3rd replied, glancing from me to Sephy.

"I'm outta here! I was ready to deal with Sakura, but not both her and General Sephiroth!" One of his 3rd friends shouted, running off with his tail between his legs.

"Hey, you...you coward! Get back here!"

Of course, everyone else followed suit until only the jerk-off 3rd class was left. He was apparently the dumbest in his group of friends to not leave while he could. Or perhaps he was frozen in place, judging by how his legs were shaking.

Served him right; coward.

"Should I ask for the details? Or shall I just assume that this 3rd Class was planning on challenging you on unfair terms?" Sephy's smooth sonorous voice echoed in the hallway, his cyan eyes rounding on me.

"Unfair terms for him, yes. And he was just leaving. If this happens again, I'll pull rank and talk about his behavior with the Director." I hissed, allowing the lowlife before me to scamper off.

Once we were alone, I approached Sephiroth. He sent me a small smile, though his body was tense. He knew I wasn't here for good news. I felt a pang of nervousness in my stomach, turning it into a churning pit of butterflies (it wasn't a good thing). Should my courage fade or waiver, I'd never be able to tell him. And then it would only cause more problems in the long run.

"What brings you to my office so late at night, Sakura? I'd have thought you'd be home after such an exhausting assignment."

I glanced at my clothes, which were still stained with my and Angeal's blood. Reopened wounds were not the cleanest of situations. Nor was killing your own mentor. "I felt you deserve to know what happened, and then some. May I come in?"

"Of course." The tall general stepped aside to let me enter with a welcoming smile.

He'd improved over the years. Now, when we talked, he actually smiled and laughed. I was glad our friendship had become so strong, and that he trusted me so deeply. Seating myself on the small sofa against the wall, I took a deep breath. It smelled sterile yet fresh, a strange aroma that so far I could only catch in this office. The sofa was pretty comfy too as I sank into it, the cushy seat eliciting a sigh of content from me. It was a bit stiff, considering it was rarely used, but still extremely comfy.

Sephy stood across from me, arms folded in question. "So, what is it you feel obligated to tell me?"

I felt my defenses go up as I casted aside the nervousness and other mingling emotions building up inside of me while my fingers yanked down my mask. "Everything."

A silver eyebrow lifted in surprise from my revealed face and statement. "Everything...? As in-"

"Yes, as in _everything_." I interposed, focusing on keeping my breathing even.

Sephiroth shifted with uncertainty. "Are you sure you should tell me? You haven't even told Zack."

"It's different. Once I explain everything, you'll understand why I'm only telling you. First off, my name is actually Autumn Gainsborough, and when I was just a baby..."

At first my words were reluctant, but as I continued the history of my past with Shinra and the reasons why I joined SOLDIER, it started to pour out naturally. Sephy didn't utter a word as I spoke, the occasional narrowing of eyes or slight mouth twitches the only shifts in his reactions.

When I finished, he stared at me in contemplation. "So...you plan to leave as soon as you have finished acquiring the needed information."

I nodded in confirmation. "Yes. But I've made the mistake of getting close to people, and they care too much now. I realize that should I suddenly disappear, people will search for me."

"And you told me all of this because I would also look for you, with the highest chances of succeeding." The silver-haired 1st continued.

"Well, that and...I wanted to show you that you really do have a friend you can trust and who trusts you back. Because on the assignment..."

I choked, forcing myself to swallow a bitter taste. It was time to rip off the band-aid, so to speak. I was always blunt when things like this happened. It started when I was seven.

"We encountered Angeal. He goaded us into fighting him, and ultimately end his life. Angeal is dead, Sephy."

The first thing that registered in his expression was shock. Then came the transition to denial. "Are you positive? Your Ancient abilities are able to detect when someone close to you passes, correct?"

"Yes, and I sensed it. I felt his life force join with the Lifestream, Sephiroth. It was horrifying. I cannot control that aspect of my powers, it comes naturally. Though I did make the mistake of reconnecting with the Planet in that instance, I always know when someone close to me perishes."

His catlike cyan eyes roamed about the room, the grip he had on his arms tightening. "Angeal...that fool."

I rose from my spot, gently placing a hand on his shoulder as I felt his overwhelming sadness. "Sephy, I-"

"-Do not try to claim he did it to spare us any further suffering - he could not possibly cause any greater form other than by his death. This is directly because of his depression, because he saw himself as too much of a monster to continue living in a world where the people he cared for most are paid to kill just that."

For a moment I just pressed my lips together in shock. I hadn't expected Sephiroth to say such a thing, especially right after he got the news. "I...you're right, Sephy. It was because of depression; of that I'm sure. But...I'd also like to believe that at least a tiny part of it is because he saw how Zack and I looked at him with so much despair and longing, with pain that he caused. I'm sure he saw it in you, too. I know it hurts, and I know it's a shock, so...just know that I'm here for you, whenever you need me to be."

His lips twitched, expression turning into one of question. "Why?"

"Um...because I have no social life?" I quirked a brow, though sadly I realized it was entirely true.

When I wasn't working, I was taking care of Buster who always needed my attention as much as possible, training, or delving into the archives. That left little room for socializing.

"Why are you suddenly placing so much faith in me? Exposing your true identity, revealing the details of your past, acting so supportive...this isn't like you. Why now, and why me?"

"I already explained half of it to you. Should I abruptly disappear, people will hunt me down. I can't run forever, especially if my heritage is somehow leaked or discovered. They could come after Aerith and Mom and use them as leverage against me. Or possibly even those I've befriended in Shinra.

"The other half is that I know Genesis and Angeal were your only anchors tying you down in terms of sanity. I want to make sure you don't lose it if that's even possible, and...well, you're my friend. I don't want you to go through this alone."

My hand had long since left his shoulder, instead joining my free one to clasp together as I chewed on my lower lip. There was a pregnant pause, though for some reason I felt no awkwardness or tension. Perhaps it was because I'd grown so close to Sephiroth as a friend, it was no longer uncomfortable.

"I...appreciate your concern. I think you are right; Angeal and Genesis tied me down in a sense. This is simply going to take a while to...adjust to."

I nodded, edging towards the door. "I have to go home; Buster's waiting for me."

His head perked up at the mentioning of the hyperactive puppy. "How is he?"

"Sad and whiny. He'll have to get used to living with me, but I've been making sure I spend the majority of the day with him." I answered with my straight face remaining, hand turning the knob. I pulled up my mask, slipping back into the identity of the mysterious female 1st of SOLDIER.

"Perhaps I should walk you home. It is extremely late at night, after all." Sephy suggested, following me in suit.

"Are you saying that to be courteous or are you using it as an excuse to see the puppy?" My tone was dry as I questioned his motives.

A rumbling in his throat told me he was chuckling. "Perhaps a bit of both."

"I can take care of myself just fine at night. No idiot would willingly face me unless they want their butts kicked." I scoffed, nearly bumping into Zack in the open space of the SOLDIER floor.

"Oof! Zack...? What're you still doing here? I thought you went to bed already." I frowned, spotting my partner's red and puffy eyes.

He put up a smile lacking the usual abundance of energy and playfulness. "Sorry, my bad. I was just about to, don't worry. Hey Sephiroth."

"Good evening, Zack. Sakura informed me of the assignment. I take it you are having a hard time as well?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Ah, I guess you could say that. I'm gonna hit the sack. You'll be okay going home, right?"

"Yeah. I've got this guy as my unnecessary escort." I responded, jabbing a thumb at the silver-haired Masamune-wielder beside me.

Bidding goodnight to Zack, we continued out of HQ and down towards my apartment. We barely talked, the shock was still in effect and my defenses had yet to lower. The cool night air helped clear my head, despite the smog and dirt. It was just another familiarity to me at this point. Buster was oddly ecstatic to see Sephiroth and would've licked him to death had I not intervened.

When Sephy finally left, I begrudgingly peeled off my blood-stained clothes, changed into a t-shirt and shorts, fed and cared for Buster, and collapsed on my bed, too mentally and physically exhausted to care about anything but the lull of sleep.

Yet, tears still unwillingly trailed down my face, absorbed by my pillow. _"Angeal...why did you have to leave us? Why did you have to give in to despair, when feeling like a monster is something I've been fighting against my entire life?"_

Those were my final thoughts before I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: First chapter! :D Sorry, as I said, there's a lot going on Well, review, favorite and follow! They inspire me to write further! ^^**


	2. The Nightmare

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 2-The Nightmare**

Keep Calm: So, second chapter!

Autumn: Ugh...

Zack: Sorry, we're still a little down.

Keep Calm: That is expected. It isn't every day your mentor forces you to kill him.

Autumn: The bluntness stings.

Keep Calm: Yeah? Well, this is what you dish out on a daily basis. But don't worry, it's one of the flaws I purposely made for you to have.

Zack: Don't you have to study, too?

Keep Calm: Yeah...but I'll write whenever I can. Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed! ^^

_"Do not ignore dreams. They are a line from the past to the future. All nightmares are real." -Neil Gaiman, _The Ocean at the End of the Line

* * *

_Crash!_

_Wood splintered, crashing to the ground in a ball of flames. The air reeked of burning flesh and ashes. The fires themselves popped on occasion, roaring hungrily as their food sources diminished._

_Bodies...so many bodies..._

_A figure dashed out - tall and well-built - to stand amidst the chaos in absolute shock. Glowing cyan eyes gleamed behind walls of fire; cold, lifeless, empty._

_Blood trickled down the extensive steel in his leather-gloved hand, sizzling from the flames. The owner was strangely unaffected by the sweltering heat, not a strand of long silver hair smoking._

_Finally he turned away, leaving the raven-haired soldier behind. _

_What occurred next was a blur. There were bouts of questions when the soldier came across a survivor: a gruff older man that attempted to rescue another one of the inhabitants. He obviously knew how to fight due to the callouses on his weathered hands and his built body._

_"Hey, you're still sane, right?"_

_From him came the discovery that there was another survivor that pursued the insinuator of the havoc and her father. _

_The ravenette told an infantryman to stay behind, and trekked ahead to the reactor._

_Blood...blood everywhere...too much..._

_"I hate you! I hate Shinra! I hate you all!"_

_Swords clashed, anger and hurt expressed in the form of fierce slashes and punches._

_"No, you're not-you're not the Sephiroth I once knew!"_

_Stoic face absent of emotion, a reply came. "I am the chosen one. I have been chosen to rule this planet."_

_Their fight continues, until the raven-haired soldier gets cut down, too. Like the girl._

_More blood...too much blood...no..._NO-

* * *

**Autumn**

She sprung out of her bed, grabbing Wings of Freedom in a matter of seconds, gasping for breath with skin coated in perspiration.

Buster whined and barked, circling her legs and jumping up at her anxiously. He was going so fast he almost appeared as a ball of tan, white, and black.

Minutes passed until her head finally cleared, realizing there was no danger. Exhausted from fright, her legs buckled as she slumped back onto her bed. Her eyes flickered to her alarm clock, which read it was only 3 AM.

_Fabulous_.

The little beagle attempted to follow her, his small legs clawing at the bed frame. More pitiful whines escaped his throat when he tumbled down from a failed leap.

With trembling hands, Autumn wiped away the sweat lining her forehead. Still out of breath, she began inhaling and exhaling deeply to regain control.

_"It was just a dream," _she thought, remembering the skin-melting flames and glowing cyan eyes. _"He'd never do that. I'm just having nightmares because of Angeal. Stupid subconscious. Sephiroth would never turn on me - on anyone." _

The brunette aired out her dampened tank top, too frazzled to feel disgusted. Her hair was a disheveled chocolate brown mess, most of it frizzy and tangled in knots. She went through rather painful efforts to keep her hair presentable; hence the ponytail.

After more whines and yaps filtered through her ears, glittering sapphire eyes flicked to the pouting beagle slumped at the side of her bed. Sliding down to his level, the brunette allowed him to nearly tackle her to the floor, landing sloppy kisses on her face. She didn't want to think about where his tongue had been. It was already too early in the morning

"Sorry, I must've made you worry, huh?" Autumn murmured, stroking Buster's head.

Her fingers brushed up his snout, which was streaked with a black line. The young dog nuzzled into her, his sounds of distress dying down.

Again her mind trailed back to her nightmare. Even though she was in the midst of grieving, it made absolutely no sense to have a nightmare of that sort should she use the excuse.

No. It was just something stupid her mind conjured up. But it'd been _so real_. She could still feel the unbearable flames, the dying citizens strewn about the ground, the enormous amounts of blood...

"He'd never do that." The 1st stated with great conviction.

Buster perked up, big tawny eyes gazing up in confusion. As if perfecting the adorable display, he tilted his head to one side.

Autumn played with his floppy ears, staring aimlessly at the wall across from her.

"Never."

Though drowsiness tugged beneath her eyes, she refused to climb back into bed. What if the nightmare returned? She couldn't dream of it again; she wouldn't allow it. Besides, she'd had worse issues sleeping during her infantry days, and she would've woken a couple of hours later anyway.

"There's no way I'm getting any more sleep today, am I?" The brunette sighed disappointingly, absentmindedly stroking the young dog curled up in her lap.

* * *

**Aerith**

Her days were always so confusing now. She never knew what to expect anymore, or if her day would be mundane as they used to be before he came into her life.

But...it was a good kind of confusion, and the anticipation wasn't one of trepidation, but of eagerness.

She wondered when a head of raven spikes would pop up, and when the cheery deep voice that became so addictive to her ears would cut through the usual silence of the church. Her heart always swelled when he visited, and a sort of fluttery feeling made it hard to contain herself. Yet at the same time, Zack put her at ease.

Aerith felt guilty about skipping out on meeting him a few days ago. She sensed Tseng was going to make an appearance, so she booked it. She wanted to hide; to keep that part of her related to Shinra a secret from the sunny 1st Class.

The desire to be normal was so strong it ached, and Aerith refused to make Zack - who saw her as just a normal flower girl - aware of the side that was so...weird. However, when she heard the large wooden doors to her church creak open at 11 AM, what she glimpsed wasn't what she'd been expecting. Of course, she felt the waves of sadness and guilt before he even took a step in, but seeing his face was totally different.

The happy grin on his countenance was hard to keep up with his gait slow, almost somber. She knew he was grieving for someone, it was obvious. The flower girl never forgot what it looked like, for it was the same expression her sister carried many years ago. Plus, she'd felt it the moment that man died. Aerith never asked what was wrong.

Instead, she let him hug her, and went back to tending her flower bed. After she finished, her piquing curiosity about the sky caused her to babble on about the blanket of blue whilst gazing up through the hole in the ceiling.

When Aerith heard the sobs from behind, it prompted her to wrap her arms around Zack's neck, which only caused him to cry harder. The chestnut-haired girl never thought she'd see a guy - much less such a strong guy - appear so vulnerable. Autumn always rambled about how everyone in SOLDIER was so tough, able to handle even the most emotion-heavy situations. Much like the Turks, except SOLDIERs could actually sympathize.

And they didn't assassinate people. Or kidnap people. Or torture anyone. She was rather appreciative of those differences.

They remained like that for a long time, at least a few hours, until Zack received a call from the Director to stop slacking off. He'd promised he'd go to work, so of course the fair-haired man expected him to do just that.

Aerith understood, and with a heavy heart the ravenette left her church. She attempted to make him feel better by planting a gentle kiss right on his lips: an act that surprised both her and Zack.

Though, it wasn't as if he complained about it. He embraced it and reciprocated the action, eventually forcing himself to pull away from her before things escalated too quickly - probably to save himself from getting castrated by her overprotective sister. It was all so sudden, for a moment Aerith believed it to be a fleeting dream or fancied thought.

She wasn't entirely certain what just happened, but she felt she shouldn't keep it to herself. Taking a risk, she pulled out the PHS Autumn secretly bought her.

_"Aerith? Why're you calling? Is something wrong?"_

"Not really. I mean, it's about Zack." The chestnut-haired girl answered, staring up at the rays of sunlight raining down from the hole.

_"Zack? Is that idiot screwing things up? Are you guys okay?" _Autumn sighed, her usual irritation seeping through the PHS.

"No, he's done nothing wrong, promise! We're fine, _better _than fine!" Aerith squeaked, wincing as her already feminine voice pitched higher while thinking back to her first kiss with Zack. "...it's just...today he visited my church and ended up crying a lot. I've never seen him cry before, and I sensed a man's death a few days ago...I don't know what happened; all I know is that he must've been very important for Zack to be so depressed. You know how we sense death, after all."

_"...I see. Don't worry about it; it's nothing. He was someone Zack respected and looked up to, so his death was a pretty big shock. He'll get over it eventually." _

Aerith couldn't help but feel there was something her sister refused to share with her. Her tone was cold, with a steely edge she only heard when her sister was getting "emotional" as she put it. She was beginning to suspect this man meant something to her sister, too. But what?

"Sis, what aren't you telling me? You know you can tell me anything."

_"I'm telling you, it's nothing. Angeal was a really great guy; everyone held respect for him. They still do. People just take grief different ways. Zack's way of dealing with it is to bawl his eyes out, I guess. He always was too attached to people.__"_

The Ancient understood her sister's comment, though it was a bit blunt and unnecessary. It made her feel a little more reassured, even if she was overlooking the fact Autumn basically called Zack a weepy baby. She got rather insulting when she felt "emotionally compromised".

"Okay, I guess you have a point."

_"And...*yawn* I...uh...what was I saying?"_

"Sis, when did you wake up this morning?"

_"...About 3AM."_

"_That _early?! How're you going to function right if you got so little sleep?"

There was a loud *_smack* _on the other end, which naturally heightened Aerith's concern. "What just happened?! Are you okay?"

_"I'm fine. A good slap to the face woke me up more. I'll be fine; I've had worse when it comes to sleep."_

A smile played at the chestnut-haired teen's lips. "Well, it certainly explains why you always sleep like a hibernating bear on the weekends, Miss 'I'm-So-Tough-Who-Needs-Sleep?'."

She heard her sister emit what sounded across between a snort and a chuckle.

_"Hey, I_ am_ tough. I just like my beauty sleep.__ Uh, since we're already talking...okay, I can only confide this in you, and it's going to sound absolutely stupid. I...woke up from a nightmare this morning, right? There was a town that was set ablaze, people were dying left and right. It felt as if I was there, and it all seemed familiar somehow, as if I'd been there before. And I actually remember everything that happened."_

After the 1st recounted the details of her nightmare, Aerith felt more than a little unnerved. She'd always sensed Sephiroth was different from other SOLDIER members, and now hearing this...

"What do you think it means?"

_"I'm not sure yet. Normally, people don't remember _everything_ about their dreams. I can recall planks of wood, positions of houses, how fast the flames were spreading... Aerith, I'd never dream of something like this. Sephiroth and I are close friends; he'd never massacre an entire town whether he's sane or mad."_

The flower girl paced before her flower bed, fingers tapping her chin. "Well...has something happened recently? Maybe an argument or the like?"

_"No. In fact, I told Sephiroth everything." _

The Ancient froze, heart nearly stopping at her sister's words. Her voice died in her throat, shock gripping a hold of her. "Y...You what?"

_"Aerith, if I'm going to separate myself from SOLDIER, I need to let at least one person know everything. Who better than Sephiroth? He is the ultimate SOLDIER and one of my closest friends. If I ever need an ally who knows the whole story, he's the perfect candidate."_

"Are you sure? I mean...what about Zack? You haven't told him, and he's your partner." Aerith pointed out, her tone growing desperate.

_"Zack still has strings attached. Family, friends, you. I need someone with no leverage that can be held against them. Sephiroth only had Angeal and Genesis aside from me. Now that they're both gone, or rather Genesis has gone dark, there is nothing the Turks or another part of Shinra could use to manipulate him. He's the only one I can trust right now."_

A pang resonated through the teen's heart. "And me, right? You still trust me?"

_"Of course I do - you're my_ sister._ But Aerith, I can't share everything with you. I know how you are. If someone you love is threatened, you'll sell me out. That's just how it is. You're kind, genial, and compassionate. However, that's also your weakness. I have to be cautious from this point on._

_"One slip up could ruin everything. It'll take time to distance myself from everyone, but once I do I'll disappear; maybe go to Cosmo Canyon or something. I hear they know a lot about the Planet, perhaps they have something on the Cetra. When that happens, you might not hear from me for a while. Okay?"_

Nerves tingling from surprise and pulse thumping wildly, Aerith swallowed to push back the cloying taste rising up in her throat.

"I...yeah, okay. When is this happening?"

_"As soon as possible. I'm still researching the Ancients: I found some more reports. I have to go; I'm at work right now in an empty training room thank goodness, but I'll talk to you later."_

Aerith lowered her head. "Alright. Be safe, Sis."

_"You, too." _

The call ended. The chestnut-haired girl pocketed her phone, feeling numb. Her sister practically dropped a bomb on her. Out of nowhere, she starts speaking of leaving her behind? Again?

Even though she did her best to be tough, even though she was attempting to prove she could be fine without Autumn, Aerith felt that sense of panic at the thought of being alone once more.

But...was she alone? She had Zack, right? And her mother?

No, it wasn't the same. Because Autumn was the only one in the world who could truly relate to her entirely. Not just because they were sisters, but because they shared the same burden: being the last two Cetra in existence. That sense of fear, of knowing there was no one else out there like her, was tremendous and caused her legs to tremble.

It was almost like staring down the end of the world, in a way. Aerith was always scared for her sister, especially when it came to parting. All of the years Autumn was away, whenever Aerith managed to send her letters, asking for her return, she'd always come at least three times a month. The thought of not being able to contact her sister, who acted as her pillar of strength, terrified the flower girl further.

She laced her fingers together, bowing her head in prayer. _"Please...please, keep my sister here with me. Don't have her leave. I'm afraid of what might happen to her..."_

Little did she know that her desperate plea coincided with what the Planet had in store for her sister, and to what lengths it implied.

* * *

**A/N: Yes! Chapter 2 done! Ugh, it's been pretty hectic, but I'm learning how to juggle it all. Of course, that means spending less time writing, unfortunately. Tell me what you think, it's greatly appreciated. Review, favorite and follow!**


	3. Back to Work

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 3-Back to Work**

Keep Calm: Third chapter, phew!

Autumn: Gosh, you've been working like mad.

Keep Calm: Yeah, lots of stuff going on right now.

Zack: That sucks. Weeell, shall we move on?

Keep Calm: Yes, sorry. Anyways, thanks again to all of you who read my fanfic, review, favorite and follow!

_"I guess by now I should know enough about loss to realize that you never really stop missing someone-you just learn to live around the huge gaping hole of their absence." -_Alyson Noel, _Evermore_

* * *

**Location: Midgar - Slums, en route to Shinra HQ**

**Zack**

His eyes hurt. They stung like crazy and still a little puffy and swollen. Well, it wasn't as if he'd complain about it. He cried most of the night, as well as the following morning, so it was his fault anyway.

As much as Zack was unashamed of his endless bawling, he couldn't afford to keep crying over Angeal. It'd be a terrible scene for those that saw him as a mentor and role-model (though he wasn't entirely sure how he got that role). He needed to be stronger.

They needed _someone_ to look up to.

He walked back to the upper plate with a grin though, feeling the slivers of sunlight hit his face that poked out from behind the swirling silvery gray puffs of clouds. The air grew fresher, winds whipping at his revealed skin. Maybe it was because he'd shared his first kiss with Aerith, but everything just seemed so _amazing_ today.

Zack considered the slums like another home, but he cherished the sky that was absent underneath the slates of dull gray. The overhead of infinite blue always intrigued him, making him wonder about things he usually never considered.

Boots slamming against the pavement, he jogged to HQ, meandering to the elevators to hand in his report recounting details of the assignment in Modeoheim to the Director. He wasn't sure how he'd feel starting today, since everything would be different. Angeal would never show up again. And he was still coming to terms with that.

But for the moment, he was too overwhelmed by boyish excitement after his kiss with Aerith to think about it.

Then, he froze. Standing before him were his partner Autumn, and Reno: the sly and territorial redheaded Turk he only crossed paths with once, hoping to never encounter him again.

It was just from surprise at the Turk's sudden appearance, but Zack couldn't find it in himself to propel his feet forward.

Autumn stood beside the elevator with a stoic expression, if not slightly irritated, with her arms crossed defiantly over her chest. Reno leaned against the wall space between the two elevators, propping himself up with one elbow. A flirtatious smirk curved his lips upward as he spoke to her.

Honestly, even from this distance, he could see the prominent dark circles under his partner's eyes and how pallid her skin was. She obviously didn't get a good night's sleep.

"Hey, Zack!" A cheery voice exclaimed from behind.

The ravenette snapped out of his trance to glance at Kunsel, who grinned as he approached.

"What's up Kunsel?" he greeted, the two performing a handshake followed by a pat on the back.

"Nothing much. Got called in early for some important mission. Apparently there was another monster outbreak. No casualties, but some citizens got a few serious injuries. One even got a nasty bite mark from a Guard Hound."

Zack's eyes widened. "Really? I thought those were over and done with since that guy from the Science Department got arrested."

Kunsel shrugged. "I don't really know what's going on, but at least they aren't as frequent."

The 1st Class grinned. "Yeah, there's that. Way to go, Kunsel! You'll make 1st in no time."

"Right. Well, I've gotta run. Missions never seem to stop coming in. Catch you later, Zack! Don't go flirting with other girls now, okay? I hear you got yourself an amazing girlfriend. Don't screw it up!" Kunsel warned, beginning to walk past him.

Zack stared at his friend, letting out an indignant huff. "Says the guy with _no_ girlfriend!"

Kunsel only laughed.

The 1st froze. "Wait...how'd he even know about Aerith? It's not like I talk about her here."

Well, it definitely wasn't through Sephiroth. He wasn't exactly great at socializing or gossip. Autumn had better things to do than spread word about him dating who was apparently her best friend from childhood. So..._how_ did Kunsel know?

He shook his head. _"Nah, I don't wanna know. I think I'll make my brain explode before I can figure it out."_

The ravenette proceeded to the elevators, passing Reno in the process. The Turk retained his coy smirk, his Electro-Mag Rod ever present and resting on his shoulder.

Ignoring him, Zack entered the elevator with Autumn, who sighed in exasperation.

"Wanna talk about it?' he offered, eyes resting on her half-covered face.

"No." She answered curtly, pulling out what he assumed was her own report about Modeoheim.

"Okay. So, you managed to write the report, too?" The ravenette queried, gesturing to the handful of papers.

Autumn's glowing sapphire eyes flickered from the papers to the shut doors of the elevator. Silently, she nodded.

"Oh. Cool. They're a pain and all, but I get why they're needed." Zack said as cheerfully as he could muster.

"Yeah."

The brunette fell silent, as did Zack. They didn't really know what to say to one another. The only audible sounds were their breathing and the occasional crinkling of paper. He wasn't really in the mood for talking anyways.

But his mind kept reeling back to when he saw her just a few minutes ago with Reno.

_"What did he want from her?" _he pondered, then realized the obvious answer: Reno flirted with her.

What else? That was the first thing he did when he initially laid eyes on her, even though at the time Genesis had infiltrated HQ and Sector 8 with his monsters. Judging by how he left with a smirk intact, and even elicited a dry laugh, Zack figured Autumn declined but was at least civil about it. He wondered if she was even interested in romance at all.

She never watched chick-flicks, read romance novels, or ever voiced thoughts of desiring a relationship like that. Basically her thoughts were filled with 'stab that', 'work', and 'Zack's annoying'. At least, that was what he assumed.

It was just a little concerning how her mind worked, but she was absolutely focused on SOLDIER. He guessed she'd given up on ever living long enough to have a relationship.

_*ding!* _The bell of the elevator chimed, snapping Zack out of his dark musings.

Autumn strode ahead of him before he even lifted a foot, her pace brisk. Even when she was so much shorter in stature than he was, she managed to somehow walk ahead of him. At times he even forgot about her short stature due to the way she carried herself; acting so strong and exuding a sort of intimidating presence that made others shrink in comparison.

Entering Lazard's office, Zack strained to listen to Autumn's whispering after handing in her report to the Director. However, apparently she could talk extremely quiet to evade such eavesdropping and still have Lazard know, for all he could hear was her hushed tone.

When she pulled away, Lazard whispered back, nodded, and then spoke in a louder voice.

"Sakura, today I want you to train the SOLDIERs. Specifically the 3rd Classes, and the 2nds if you can manage. Zack, tomorrow I want you to do the same. Even though new recruits keep pouring in, with things as they are currently, their training has deteriorated. There aren't enough higher Classes to teach them what they need to know as well."

"Sir, no offense, but I think I will refuse this...assignment." The brunette answered, folding her arms.

A golden brow lifted in question. "And why is that?"

"I...am not a very good teacher. I can't explain things really well. Plus I don't have the patience."

Lazard smiled in amusement. "Sakura, I am confident in your ability to be a leader and mentor for this assignment. I don't know how often you will have to do it, but for now it's only for today. Are you sure you want to decline this assignment?"

Her eyes flitted down to the floor in contemplation. Fingers tapping her chin, she looked back up. "I guess for today I'll try it. No guarantees about how it'll go, though."

The Director nodded. "Good. You are dismissed."

"Sir." She saluted, then turned away.

Walking toward Zack, she appeared torn between slowing her pace and pressing onward. He sent her a bright smile, even though he felt hollow and unbelievably wretched inside. The sound of her boots thudding against the shining tiles was a sound he'd grown familiar to hearing.

Instead of receiving the smile he intended to elicit, she clapped a significantly smaller hand onto his shoulder, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Zack...follow Angeal's teachings. I see the makings of an inspirational leader in you. Just keep going down this path you've carved out for yourself, and don't let anyone tell you different or get in the way."

He instantly wondered if she was falling deathly ill or something. He _never_ got such comforting, uplifting words of encouragement from his partner; it was too awkward for her, and she wasn't the best at consoling people.

She was more like the kind of person who would just stand there uncomfortably when you cried and act like a drill sergeant minus the yelling. Well, most of the time. So Zack was a little more than bemused and curious by her sudden little speech.

"Uh...thanks? Did you come down with a terminal illness or something? This is weird. Like you did a total 180 weird."

Her fist, as expected, collided with his muscled bicep with more force than necessary.

"Ow ow ow owww!"

She scoffed, whispering a little harsher than intended. "Oh c'mon, don't go crying from a little friendly punch. Luxiere takes it better than you do."

And with that, Sakura Gains AKA Autumn left the room. Somehow, through the fog of pulsing pain from her apparent punch of camaraderie, he wondered why he still didn't know her real last name.

"Zack, I take it you're here to submit your report?" Lazard greeted warmly, yet professionally.

His entire office held that sort of atmosphere: The floors were waxed and polished so intensely Zack could see his reflection, windows were scrubbed spotless, and not a speck of dust could be found on any of the monitors, computers, or desks. But the room felt alive at the same time; the different colors calm but comforting, and the occasional personal touches made it less intimidating.

Did they even have a janitor? Or did the 3rd Classes come in and go crazy with the cleaning? It would explain why so many chose to stupidly follow Genesis. Plus, it always smelled like a mixture of cologne and cleaner, as if the spray from womanizing males drifted into the room and made good friends with the bleach.

"Yup, sorry it's a little delayed. I had some...stuff to work out." He replied, handing the Director his own report.

Stealing a glance at Autumn's papers when the chance presented itself, Zack read the rushed, curly words of his partner.

_"Name: Sakura Gains. Assignment Location: Modeoheim. Objective: To discover rogue 1st Class SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos' activities in supposed hideout..." _

Blah, blah, blah. He skimmed over the page displayed, skipping the boring required stuff when something caught his eye. It wasn't the paper on top, but the one underneath that caught his attention. Lazard accidentally shifted the small stack of papers with his elbow in his switch of position, revealing the next page.

_"...might not be deceased, no confirmed death. Remain on alert for future attacks and/or appearances..." _

What?! Who might not be deceased?

Zack wanted to grab the papers right off the Director's desk, and only his response caused him to stop.

"It's quite alright, I can imagine it must have been rather difficult emotionally. I have yet to read the reports, but judging by how you and Sakura are acting, I'm going to assume a lot went askew. Perhaps you should take a day off."

The 1st grinned, giving the Director a fist-pump. "Nah, I'm good! If I don't work, I'll start wandering around wondering what I should do. This is a better use of my skills."

A smile pulled Lazard's lips upward. "Very well. You have no pending assignments, so take up the missions that have been collecting in your absence. Also, remember you are instructing the 3rd Classes tomorrow. You are dismissed."

Zack saluted with a smile. "Sir!"

Leaving his office, when the ravenette stepped out into the hall, he checked his PHS for missions.

"Gaia, when did I get so many?! I was only gone for two days!" Zack exclaimed, eyes popping when the missions didn't end at fifteen.

It'd take him five all-nighters or more to just cut down half of it.

"What the...who the heck is Treasure Princess? Is this spam?" he frowned, reading the message.

It was sent a long time ago. To be more precise, on the day he'd entered the Sector 5 Reactor with Autumn and Sephiroth. He really needed to check his mail more often. Lately he only remembered the mails he got from Aerith.

...damn it, Kunsel jinxed him.

'Don't just read the mails you get from girls!' he said.

Yeah right, of course Zack would become laser-focused on his _girlfriend's_ emails!

"Well, if it is a trap, at least I'll be prepared for it. Besides, if there _is_ treasure hidden by Shinra's General Affair's Department, it'd be cool to see what it is. That, and Shinra likes to be thorough when it comes to suspicious mail." he grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"Right, time for me to get started!"

* * *

**Autumn's POV**

I walked down a corridor with the same brisk pace I'd upheld since I stepped foot into HQ. It felt like something was missing; like when you know a room so well you notice instantly when something inside is taken away.

Things were going to be different, but I needed to be able to adjust. If I couldn't handle losing one person, how was I going to distance myself from everyone else?

And training the recruits was a waste of my time. I needed to be focused on learning more about the Ancients and Jenova, and then book it out of Midgar. Once I abandoned Shinra, they'd come after me. Maybe I'll fake my death somehow. That seems to work just fine.

Then there was the fact my skills were declining, since I barely managed to defeat last week's data during practice in the training room. And of course, Reno just _had_ to confront me.

Annoyed, I punched a wall. A dent resulted from my expression of frustration, and the sting of the collision my knuckles with the solid surface was already fading.

"That was too close." I muttered, angry with myself.

What Reno said to me played in the back of my head in a loop, causing my heart to pound wildly. I breathed in the scent of steel and sweat in an attempt to calm down.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_Autumn walked over to the elevators, barely sparing anyone a glance except when greeted by her friends, whom she was brief with. She wanted to turn in her report; she was getting anxiety by keeping it in her pocket._

_Once there, she waited for the elevator door to slide open after pressing the delicate 'up' button._

_Feeling someone approach, she whirled around and drew Mira: her .45 caliber handgun. Flashes of what happened in Junon appeared behind her eyes. Her screams, the cracks of the whip, the swift and precise punches to her body, the agonizing feeling of getting her SOLDIER makeup altered and reconfigured over and over-_

_She pointed the barrel right at the face of a certain red-haired Turk._

_He threw his arms up in surrender, his sly expression shifting partially to one of surprise. One gripped his weapon of choice: the Electro-Mag rod he seemed to have a habit of tapping on his shoulder._

_"Whoa, hello to you too, Sweetheart. It's just me."_

_Her heart still hammered in her chest as she felt herself ease up a little. Autumn's eyes narrowed in suspicion. __"What do you want? And don't call me Sweetheart."_

_"Since I like my face the way it is and keeping my brains inside this brilliant head, I think I'll tell you after a gun isn't pointed at my nose. Gets me a bit jumpy, yo. And you seem like the trigger-happy kinda girl."_

_Rolling her eyes in irritation, she put Mira back in her holster. She'd decided to be at least a little cordial today and not spout any insults or comebacks._

_"So what do you want, Turkey? Since now that I've put away my scary little gun." Autumn questioned, folding her arms._

_He sauntered over to stand across from her, propping up an elbow against the wall between the elevators. __"You kidding? A gun's a gun. I might be fast but I can't outrun point-blank bullets, yo."_

_"Just get to the point already. Unlike you apparently, I have better things to do than exchange half-witty remarks." The teen sighed, doing her best to ignore the opened elevator door next to her._

_"What if I just wanted to chat, yo?" Reno replied casually, as if he hadn't almost gotten shot in the face five seconds ago._

_"Reno, I literally only met you one other time, and we didn't exactly start off on the best of terms. You're delusional if you think we're buddies now." Autumn retorted, tapping her fingers on her arms._

_"Alright, alright. Glad to know you didn't forget me, at least. So, after this long time of incredible patience and some pushing-if you know what I mean-we finally got something out of those AVALANCHE insurgents from Junon. Guess what they told us?"_

_She continued to stare, even though internally she was about to have a heart attack. What if they spilled to Shinra she was an Ancient? She'd be whisked away to the labs before she could say 'chocobo feather'!_

_"Aw, not even gonna guess?" Reno drawled, a flirtatious smirk creeping onto his features._

_One of her hands twitched, a spark of lightning from her Thundaga materia conveying her lack of patience. "You have five seconds." _

_"Okay, geez. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." The redhead sighed, though she was satisfied to see him gulp nervously._

_'You have no idea.' she mused dryly._

_"They gave us some dirt on AVALANCHE: specifically their leader Elfe and that four-eyed nerd Fuhito. Apparently, Elfe's health is deteriorating. I don't know why, but they say that her power drains a lot out of her. Fuhito found other means of muscle when she's too weak to fight. Some weird freak with glowing yellowish-green eyes named Z."_

_Taking a moment to make sure her breathing was even, Autumn responded. "I know him. He was there in Junon, and in the Shinra building when I had to protect that creep Rufus. He told me he was a failed experiment of theirs, and he wanted revenge. Something else about 'Mother' and how he was connected to her."_

_The Turk sent her an incredulous look. "That so? That's pretty much what they told us, 'cept that Z ain't loyal to AVALANCHE. They're just working together for a common purpose, yo. They said his real agenda was to 'make the planet a better place', but he was missing some tools or something."_

_Autumn's hands curled into fists. "Tch, so that's it..."_

_"I don't really get what's going on yet, but it seems they've been wanting you for something, yo. And since they didn't get you, mind explaining?" A colder tone was beginning to filter into the Turk's voice._

_She knew Reno had a sordid side; she wasn't a fool. He was one of the more cold-hearted Turks that did anything to get the job done. And it irked her to no end he was nearly threatening her at the moment._

_"All I know is that they wanted me to help them fight Shinra. And Reno," Autumn began, leaning in a bit closer, "use that tone with me again and I will not restrain myself like I am today. You and I both know what I will do."  
_

_The redhead chuckled. "Ohh, I know. That's the fun part. I knew you couldn't resist my magnetic charm forever."_

_"More like I can't stand your polarity." The 1st remarked, despite the crimson pulsing in her cheeks under her mask._

_The flirtatious smirk returned. "That look on your face is telling me something else, Sweetheart. Oh, and I finally remember where I've seen you before."_

_Her heart practically stopped. "Where?"_

_"You were getting off a train from the slums, yo. Rude and I helped you out when some dumbass was bothering you, even manhandled you a bit. Now why'd you let him do that? From what I hear, you like to take care of yourself."_

_She sent him a cold glare. "I was handling things just fine before you decided to nose into my business."_

_"Sure, because that bused lip you had said things were going off without a hitch. Well, be seeing you around Feisty." Reno winked, pushing off the wall to walk away._

_Glowing sapphire eyes watched him leave._

_"Reno."_

_He craned his neck, light hitting one of his unique scarlet tattoos and illuminating his oddly bright sky blue irises._

_"Stay out of my way. I don't need or want your help, got that?"_

_A smirk played at his lips once more. "I think you'll find yourself wanting my help sooner or later, Sweetheart. Oh, and try to get more sleep; you look like you joined a family of raccoons, yo."_

_She was totally thrown off-guard, so all she did was let out a dry laugh in disbelief._

**_End of Flashback_**

* * *

**Autumn's POV**

That guy seriously ticked me off. Really? I look like I joined a family of raccoons? I had _one_ sleepless night.

And why was that the first thing that got me riled up? I should've been worrying about his recollection of our previous encounter or the fact Zane somehow wanted to use me in order to 'correct the planet' in a sense.

Had my vanity gotten that bad? Ugh, now wasn't even the time to be considering this crap! I had to focus on training the 3rds and my goal. I was _so_ close.

Entering the bigger training room reserved for larger groups, I came face-to-face with rows of 3rd Classes. At least half were still goofing off. That wasn't what shocked me.

What shocked me was seeing one of my close friends in the second row, his jet-black hair sticking out from under his helmet, and icy blue eyes now a glowing light sky blue.

I felt the air get sucked out of my lungs as my jaw dropped. Slowly making my way to the front, I composed myself before anyone could spot my expression.

Bewilderment was not the best initial expression to have. Especially when I might be teaching them again.

"Attention!"

My voice rang throughout the spacious room, echoing due to its immensity. The walls amplified the sound, effectively sobering all of the SOLDIERs and returning to stiff, rigid posture up front.

"You know who I am. The Director has requested I be your instructor for today since we're so low on manpower. I'm going to warn you now: I'm not easy-going or a push-over, so if you just wanna be babied whenever you screw up, get out of my sight. I have no patience whatsoever for wimps that just want to breeze their way to 1st Class and drink in fame and become a hero.

"This is about becoming a SOLDIER, which means I'm going to push you past and far over your limits. If you can't handle it, fake your death or whatever and leave. SOLDIER isn't for the faint of heart or the weak-willed. I'm tired of talking, so let's get to it. Which 3rds in here are more experienced?"

Several modestly raised their hands. I noticed they were the more mature ones that remained in form before I even walked in.

I nodded. "Good. You will help train the others since this group is so vast."

We went through warm-ups and stretches, drills, exercise routines, and weapon training. I managed to squeeze in a little practice with materia as well. Unfortunately, not all were very apt at using Fira. Hence the scorch marks on the walls. I did warn them to watch their control, though. So they got my loud, angry yelling that I'd been wanting to unleash ever since 3AM this morning.

Honestly, I kind of enjoyed it, if only because I finally had a reason to angrily yell as much as I wanted because of all of the mistakes they made and how hard I pushed them. Maybe it was a little harsh of me, but it was nice to see someone else struggle for once (not called the Ice Queen for nothing).

At the end, hardly any of the 3rds were able to stand properly. That meant I'd taught them well. At least, recalling from my own experience with my mentor Jones and Master Zangan, I had.

"Attention!" I shouted, causing them to stand straight once more.

It reeked of sweat and smoke in here, so I wanted to make this fast. The sweat smell especially was getting to me.

"You all did well today. No grumbling about this session, understood? You should take pride in your performance and continue to improve. This _will_ help you to become talented, admirable SOLDIERs, I guarantee so. Dismissed."

They immediately poured out of the training room, if not to escape my wrath, then to finally sit or take a shower. Thank Gaia they did; the smell was beginning to thin once the door opened. Scanning the mass of bodies, I lunged out to grab my friend by the arm.

I ripped off his helmet to see the face of Jason staring back at me.

"What the heck, Jason?! Why didn't you tell me you made SOLDIER?"

He sighed, taking back his helmet. "You seemed preoccupied with stuff; I didn't want to bother you. You look like you've got enough to worry about."

I crossed my arms. "Don't make this about me. Congrats, Jason, I'm really proud of you. Sorry if the training was rough; from experience I learned that the harder you work, the better you'll succeed. I know you'll work through the ranks fast. We should go out and celebrate with the guys."

Crap, what was I doing? I was supposed to be _distancing_ myself from them, not going out to celebrate!

He edged a smile. "Maybe another time. Right now I'm coated in sweat, if you hadn't noticed, and dead tired. Not complaining, just facts."

I really hadn't noticed, actually. Maybe it was because I'd been around too many sweaty guys to care, but now that I looked his skin was glistening from perspiration and beads of sweat lined his forehead.

"All right, catch you later. Re-hydrate and recharge, got it?"

Jason sent me a thumbs-up before leaving the training room. I left to enter a smaller one, setting it to last week's data.

A digital copy of myself virtualized as I lifted my fists. I'd paid the dog-sitter to feed and let Buster out for the next six hours, not that it was cheap. I wasn't sure if I'd even make it home today.

_"It's just because of work, it's just training." _I mentally chanted as I threw an uppercut.

I struggled to recover from a feint and roundhouse to my back, seeing a dank cell with Smith's fists pounding at my flesh.

_"It's just training..."_

* * *

**A/N: So, now you're starting to see some of her paranoia, right? Well, not paranoia per-say, but trauma I suppose. Getting tortured for five days and cornered into killing your mentor aren't exactly scar-free, figuratively and literally. Anyways, review, favorite, and follow! They inspire me to write more!**


	4. Lean on me

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 4: Lean on Me**

**Disclaimer: Crisis Core does not belong it o me. I write this fanfic for entertainment purposes only and do not seek profit for it. All rights go to Square Enix.**

Keep Calm: Uuuuggghhh

Zack: Keep Calm's living the hard life at this time...

Autumn: Naturally Keep Calm wants to keep why it is hard a secret, for it is about her life outside of writing.

Zack: 'Cause this author's got issues with trusting people.

Keep Calm: Shut up, Zack! It's the Internet, of course I don't! Anyway...

Zack: Riiight.

Keep Calm: Ugh, just shut up! Viewers, in this chapter you'll be seeing more of Lorie Frost, one of my OC's. If you don't know who she is, that probably means you haven't read my first story, which I HIGHLY encourage you to read first. More of her character is explored, so I'm pretty psyched.

Also, I have a poll up! I realize it's asking who Tifa should be paired with, but that will help me decide on future pairings for THIS fanfic as well as the next one. So, please vote and let me know what you think! Right now there's one vote for Reno and one for Zack.

_"An arch consists of two weaknesses, which, leaning on each other, become a strength." -_Leonardo da Vinci

* * *

**Sephiroth**

He'd finally convinced himself to emerge out of the confinements of the data room and the seemingly endless information (most of it arrogant and boastful) about the Science Department that held the key to what he hoped he'd find.

Well, _he_ didn't do much persuasion, more like Sakura - Autumn - whatever, stormed into the data room coated in a sheen of sweat and kicked him out with the lingering threat that she'd never let him see Buster again.

The silver-haired general wondered why she was in there looking like some kind of demented panda with her dark circles and pallid complexion. Since nothing ever got past him, he noticed she'd gotten them as soon as she'd returned from the assignment in which Angeal passed.

He could relate; sleepless nights had become a part of his life after she broke the news to him. And he felt that questioning her tired-out, sweaty, exhausted state would only leave him with more questions than answers.

So, to occupy his new found bit of "free-time", he cautiously yet aimlessly wandered about the plates. Really, it was all the same.

Everything was about opulence, superiority and class. Everyone above the plate dressed in such fine material Sephiroth wondered why they even bothered.

So, when walking above the plate got boring, he decided to take a little detour to the slums.

He'd never been there before, so what was the harm in visiting?

And there were no fan club members there...he hoped. Before he'd been unceremoniously kicked out, Autumn told him his fan club was getting annoying by taking pictures of them together and intellectually arguing if they'd make a great couple.

Half of them had already accepted defeat and somehow obtained her number, mailing her saying they 'gave her their blessing', and that even though they were his fans it was logical that the two end up together and supported their 'love life', even having the nerve to bring up that horrific shipping name Sakuroth.

He was in his early twenties, and she was _sixteen_ for crying out loud! Didn't they realize it was absolutely _illogical_ that he'd become smitten with the only female in SOLDIER?

...well, now that he thought that he supposed it was a bit misleading.

So, she demanded he bring the ridiculousness to an end before _she_ did. And _that_ would most certainly lead to a very interesting meeting with the Director.

His head was beginning to throb just pondering on it. Well, if he did perchance run into a member of his club, he would just subtly bring up the subject and convince them to drop the whole situation. Thankfully his fans at least let him speak to them and managed to restrain themselves instead of wildly assaulting his person.

Eventually he found himself sitting on a bench across from a park. It was in Sector 6, which was a relatively 'safe' zone compared to the other sectors, and even the rest of Sector 6. Some looters and thugs still loomed about on the prowl, but with increased infantry patrol they behaved for the most part.

Sephiroth released a sigh, deciding to simply watch the children, who, despite their circumstances and being stripped of their naivety, played around as if they were just like any other children that weren't in poverty or living in run-down small houses. Even though the kids served as a distraction, the General still couldn't help but mull over his dead friend and grieve.

_"Angeal...why did you have to die?" _He wondered.

Angeal had been the reasonable voice beside him, always dictating what was right and wrong. Now that voice was gone, and he often pondered if he could make those same distinctions on his own. At times the lines between the two grew so blurred Sephiroth grew unsure about it. But Angeal had always been able to tell within seconds.

He had no idea why his now deceased comrade was able to so effortlessly make the right decision, but now he realized it was a necessary skill he lacked. More and more every day, he was growing painfully aware of Angeal's infinite absence.

The silver-haired general missed him so much, and just wished time could be rewritten so that none of this ever happened. But that was a childish and naive thought, and he was a seasoned general that 'won the war'. Despite his sudden loneliness and grief, he couldn't bear to bring his burdens to Autumn - she had enough on her plate as it was.

He may be suffering, but at least he wasn't cornered into landing the killing blow.

_"Angeal...what could I have done differently to have prevented your premature death?" _The general wondered, thinking about all of his previous decisions and actions.

A dirty-blonde-haired girl around Autumn's age sat down on one of the swings, contentedly swaying back and forth while watching a little boy with brown hair. Her honey-brown eyes were warm with adoration as they lingered on the child, her simple white dress and pale lavender cardigan fluttering in the breeze.

A group of sleazy-looking young males (though some looked older) started to pass the park, when one doubled back with eyes wide in disbelief. He called out to his friends, pointing to the girl on the swing.

Enraged, the entire gang stalked into the park, scaring the kids as the girl, though shaking and evidently terrified, stood her ground. Her eyes flickered to the confused and frightened children, softening as she spoke.

"Kids, go back home, okay? I'll handle this - this is an adult matter." Her voice was gentle yet firm.

"But Miss Lorie!" A little girl protested, seemingly fond of the older girl.

"No, Clara, go home. _Please_. I-It's around d-dinner time, right?" Lorie smiled with quivering lips, her bravado quickly fading.

The girl nodded, sending a glare at the suspicious characters that had disrupted the innocent bliss of their playtime, and ran out. Only a little boy remained - the same one that Lorie had been watching protectively.

"Don't you dare get near my sister again, you thugs! I'll beat your asses all the way back to Corneo!" He cried, scared but determined to protect his older sister.

"_Danny!_" Lorie snapped, shocked at his coarse language.

One of them, wearing wrinkled jeans and a golden necklace as if to show he had wealth, turned to smirk down at him. "Go on home, ya little brat. Your sister here owes us - we got in big trouble with the Boss 'cuz of her. She's gotta pay. Plus, the Boss was really disappointed he didn't get to meet 'er last time. Who knows - maybe she'll be the lucky gal that the Don chooses for his bride!"

The rest of them snickered, the ones closest to Lorie beginning to nudge her arms and sides. She squirmed, slapping away their eager hands. "Stay away from me! I'm _never_ g-g-going back there! Y-You'll have to kill me - and Corneo doesn't want a dead girl, does he?"

The apparent leader of the scouting group for Don Corneo sauntered towards her with a gleam in his dark blue eyes. "You think you're so tough just because a SOLDIER helped you out? Huh? Because you got a taste of power - how materia courses through your veins and how the recoil of a handgun feels? You're nothing, and that SOLDIER guy isn't around anymore to save you. So, it seems to me that we've got the upper hand here, doesn't it?"

He inched towards her, playing with her long blonde strands. She flinched, jerking away from his touch. He roughly gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"I say we test her out first - nothing too severe, obviously, but just a taste to see if she's still worth it."

The others cheered until he was suddenly doubling over from a blow with a metal pipe. Danny had swung the pipe directly at the sleazeball's stomach. It wasn't enough to knock the wind out of him, but enough of a stun for him to grab Lorie's hand and start pulling her away.

Sephiroth, not liking the escalating situation, stood and started over to the park to assist the siblings, unbeknownst to the two in need since they were backing towards him, their fearful gazes on the gang.

"Why you little-" The leader started, whipping out a gun and unlocking the safety.

"I would advise that you drop your weapons and leave these two alone for the remainder of your miserable, pathetic lives." The deep, gravelly voice of the general stated, catching everyone's attention.

The honey-brown eyes of Lorie trailed up to Sephiroth's face, going as wide as saucers in the process. "G-G-General S-Sephiroth?!"

"Awesome." Danny whispered, gaping in awe at the sight of the renowned hero.

The leader was already quaking like a leaf as the silver-haired general walked around the innocent civilians to stand between them and the vile creatures that chased them. No harm would come to the two kind, innocent youths as long as he was alive.

"Did I not make myself clear? Drop your weapons." Sephiroth commanded, with everyone except the leader obeying.

"I request that you do not look for what will occur next," He murmured to Lorie and Danny. "It will not be pleasant."

Lorie shielded her brother's eyes as Sephiroth swiftly moved forward, appearing as a blur that suddenly reappeared in front of the leader. In a matter of seconds he grabbed the leader's hand holding the gun, disarmed him and squeezed until there was a distinct sickening crunch as all of the bones in his hand shattered.

With full-blown screams, the leader gripped his injured hand and fled the park, followed by the rest of the group.

"Do not ever harass these two again, or there shall be consequences dealt to you by _me_." He warned as they retreated out of sight.

Lorie uncovered her brother's eyes as the boy scampered over to Sephiroth, who looked down at him with a gentler disposition. "Are you all right, child?"

"Yeah, I'm great! Thank you, Mister Sephiroth, thank you so much! I'm Daniel, but call me Danny!" Danny replied, happily saluting the general.

Sephiroth sent him a curt nod back, causing his grin to widen.

Lorie rushed over and pulled him away. "I-I-I'm so s-sorry! He can be a l-little too fearless and straightforward sometimes!"

"It is fine, Miss..."

"Huh? O-Oh! L-Lorie Frost, my name is Lorie Frost, sir!" She squeaked, either intimidated by his presence or embarrassed at herself.

"Miss Frost, are you feeling copacetic? They did not harm you in any form, did they?" Sephiroth inquired, inspecting her appearance for any sign of bruising, redness or bleeding.

"N-N-No, I mean, yes! I'm fine, they didn't hurt me. You got to me - us - just in time." Lorie smiled, surprising the general that she was still relatively able to hold a conversation that lasted more than five minutes with him.

Most girls fainted at two.

"That is a relief, I am glad to know you are both unharmed," Sephiroth said with a smile, beginning to lead them out of the park. "If it is not too much trouble, may I escort the two of you home? I do not fully trust that Corneo's men will keep away as I cautioned them to."

"YEAH! THE General Sephiroth is escorting me home! Elric's gonna be so jealous!" Danny cheered, earning a scolding from his sister about his rudeness.

As they walked and Lorie gave the general directions (which he had already committed to memory), Lorie, surprisingly, broke the awkward silence that had formed after Danny ran out of things to say or ask Sephiroth, who patiently responded in kind.

"S-so, um...General Sephiroth, sir?"

"Please, just Sephiroth is fine. And yes, what is it that you wish to ask me?" The Masamune-wielder quirked a brow in question.

Lorie couldn't hold his gaze, choosing to look away instead as a bright red blush dusted her cheeks. "I was just wondering...why were you there near the park? From what I've heard, you usually stay above the plate."

It was true, he did often spend his free time above the plate instead of exploring the underbelly of Midgar, but to be honest there wasn't usually much to see except littered streets, smog that made him want to gag every time it filled his lungs, and shady characters that always seemed to be on the prowl.

They were rapidly approaching Lorie and Danny's house, so he replied as quickly as he could. "I wanted to go someplace unfamiliar and relatively isolate to grieve for an old friend that recently passed."

Surprised and guilty of asking such an insensitive question, Lorie quickened her pace despite the general being able to easily keep up with his longer legs.

"Oh, I'm-I'm so sorry! Danny-" She glanced around, seeing Danny cheerfully jogging ahead and bragging to everyone he met. "Danny and I - our parents passed away a few years ago. I understand what you're going through."

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Sephiroth frowned, and he truly was sorry.

This girl was far too young to care for her younger brother by herself.

"No, it's fine - we stay with my grandmother, but her health hasn't been at its best lately, so I've been taking all of the jobs I can manage. Cleaning, waiting tables...that was how they got me the first time - Corneo's men, that is. I know I shouldn't have listened, but they offered me a job that paid triple the amount I was making with the three I already had, and...well, you heard the rest." She sighed, her warm honey-brown eyes dropping to the ground in front of her.

"I thought that I could do it all on my own, and I kept grieving for my lost parents, wondering what I could've done to save them. They were in a car accident, you see, heading to Kalm to see if they could finally get us out of the slums by moving there," Lorie elaborated, fighting back the tears that pricked her eyes. "But I realized after that experience that people just can't do it all. They need someone to lean on, to help them get through the horrible, hard times. I know that's probably what you're doing too, General, but you can only grieve for so long. Focus on the positive and what you can do _now_ for the people you still have."

She gently touched his arm, causing his cyan eyes to flit over to her. "Please, take care of yourself General. I understand that it is painful and difficult to lose someone you love so dearly, but just like how I realized I now have friends to rely on, talk to some of yours. It really does help."

Lorie moved away from Sephiroth and taking a heat that left her spot with her, heading over to the house ahead with Danny in front. "Thank you very much for your help, General Sephiroth! This is our house, but please drop by sometime! I will try to make it up to you!"

Sephiroth nodded, heading back towards the train that would take him back to the upper plates. She was right, he could only mourn for so long before it consumed him like a disease.

He still had one friend left, and he was determined to discover his whereabouts. He'd be mourning for two had it not been for Autumn's reassurance that she did not sense Genesis pass on to the Lifestream. There was still a chance to reign the fiery renegade back in.

Sephiroth dug out his PHS. "It's me. I have an investigation I want to be carried out at Modeoheim. I'll divulge in the details when I reach HQ."

* * *

**Autumn**

Everything she did had lost its excitement, blending in with everything else in tones of gray. Buster consumed her life at home, and when she went to work all she did was do paperwork, train and take missions. She avoided talking to anyone, especially Zack. And her training wasn't exactly working out.

Whenever she pulled out her gun her hand trembled, and when she fought she kept hearing her own screams and hearing the cracks of the horrific whip. It made her want to punch herself for her lack of recovery and control - it didn't help that she was required to attend a charity in a few days either.

On top of that, she had yet to tackle the ever growing stacks of paperwork regarding the cadet assessments and SOLDIER progress reports. Lazard had even given her an office, which made her feel a decade older than she really was. The increasing desire to copy Genesis and throw a Firaga spell at the loathsome papers hadn't subsided.

Yet, despite her other duties, she decided today was a training day. She knew she was only drawing out her stay by wasting time on trivial activities that the brunette performed just to exhaust herself out, but she believed the stress was getting to her, and exertion was the best outlet.

She'd been receiving more visions whenever she slept: fires, blood, sometimes even cells full of bubbling mako. It terrified her to the brink of insomnia.

Hence the chilly simulation with numerous types of Ice creatures. The Bandersnatch was giving her grief, but soon she incinerated it with a blast of flames via her Mastered Firaga.

Maybe she was becoming a pyromaniac, too.

When the simulation ended, she fell to her knees as her sword slipped out of her grasp. She must have overdone it again.

Ever since everything had occurred, starting with Genesis, she'd been stuck in a rut that she had yet to find a way out of.

Drops of sweat hit the immaculate smooth floor beneath her, rolling down her heated face. She perked up at the sound of the door sliding open with a 'whoosh', boots thudding across toward her following not long after.

"Leave me alone Zack, I don't want to-" She began, choking upon realizing it wasn't the ravenette greeting her, but an infantryman with a head full of gravity-defying spiky blonde hair.

"Cloud...?"

He blushed, glancing away to evade her bemused stare. "Sorry, I didn't know you were in here...I just wanted to train for a while."

Autumn's eyes left his face to flicker down to his weapon of choice, which was not his usual gun but a broadsword. "Oh. I'll be out of your way. Just...give me a moment."

Great, she probably looked like crap, considering everyone looked at her as if she was either dying or losing it. Reno's raccoon comment helped nothing.

_"Don't be nice, don't be nice, don't be nice! You're going to leave them all behind anyways, so don't cave in!" _A voice in the back of her head exclaimed.

Managing to stand, she plucked Wings of Freedom off the ground and attempted to pass her childhood friend by without looking or saying anything. Yet, her mouth moved faster than her brain could work to stop it.

"You know, I could help you train if you want."

_Oh crap, please don't say yes!_

He spun around in surprise. "Really...? I mean, I'm sure you're busy with other things. There's that charity event coming up and everything."

_Yes, don't accept! Preparations must be made!_

"Not really. It's not like the charity is that much of a deal." She replied, grimacing from her lack of self-control.

_What?! _The brunette seriously wanted to clock herself across the face._ Stupid Autumn, stupid!_

Cloud tucked his chin into his scarf, eyes glancing away again. "Sure, if you want to..."

"Yeah. So, let's get started." She said, inwardly cursing for putting herself in this predicament.

They stood across from each other, with the 1st crossing her arms despite her fatigue. "First, show me your stance."

Forcing himself to throw away any insecurity or self-consciousness, Cloud slipped into an offensive stance. Autumn's sharp, glowing eyes roved over his form.

"Your feet aren't far enough apart. If you're going with an offensive stance, you need to have solid footing so it's harder for your opponent to knock you off balance, and to attack stronger. Move your back foot away some more, turn it so it's horizontal, and bend your knees deeper."

He did just that, and instantly his stance improved. The 1st nodded her head in approval.

"Good. Now, bend your elbows a little. If you start off attacking or defending with your arms straight, you're going to get hurt from the opposing pressure and you'll get disarmed faster. And make sure you're holding it straight."

With those adjustments, Autumn decided it was perfect and drew her own blade. "Alright, that's good. Now, come at me."

The blonde hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"If this is because I'm a girl, I'm seriously going to punch you." She stated dryly.

"No, it's not because of that. I just..." Cloud fumbled for a proper explanation.

"Okay, don't see me as Autumn - that's what making you hesitate. See me as an enemy, and just attack accordingly." The 1st instructed, though not without a steely edge to her tone.

Now she was all business, and Cloud knew it was useless to protest against her. Once she had her mind set, Autumn was never one to be convinced otherwise.

"That's easier said than done..." The blonde muttered.

Reluctantly, he charged forward, swiping at her with a downward slash. She swiftly blocked and shoved him away, causing him to stumble. She pressed on, prompting him to hastily parry her attacks.

He was on the floor with Wings of Freedom pointed at his neck several minutes later.

"You're lacking focus and drive. Once I started attacking back, you panicked and just tried to instinctively fight back. Which is what you're supposed to do, except doing it with a mind out of focus doesn't help you in any way. When that happens, you're just frantically swinging a sword around." Autumn informed him, extending a hand.

"Okay, so what do you suggest?" Cloud asked, panting slightly.

"I'm going to go through proper counters, blocks and attacks with you slowly. Right now you're not entirely used to fighting with a blade. You're already doing really well though-you've practiced before, right?"

He shook his head. "No. This is my first time."

Autumn's sapphire eyes widened in astonishment. "Really? But...wow, you're pretty talented then. When I first started out I didn't last a minute with any SOLDIER, much less a 1st."

Cloud glanced away, his face flushed. "Oh. I guess that means I'm doing good, right?"

"'Good' doesn't even come close! You're a natural! Alright, let's try some more slowly this time. And always keep analyzing your opponent for openings!"

After about an hour of personally training Cloud, the brunette finally understood why she was so out of it. The innate sense of fear that overwhelmed her due to Zane and her torture had rattled her out of her wits - and now she felt like everything was hanging on a thin, delicate thread. One little twitch, and she felt like her whole life was going to snap.

And keeping it in wasn't helping anything, not with Angeal's death topping everything off. Oh right, it wasn't just his death, more like his _murder_.

She managed a smile as she praised Cloud for a job well done. "That was amazing, Cloud. You'll make SOLDIER in no time."

He smiled back. "Thanks. Hopefully I can catch up."

"Yeah, I bet you'll be...spectacular." The brunette trailed off, choking at the end due to her hurricane of emotions.

Cloud grabbed her hand in concern, gazing at her with his beautiful blue eyes. "Autumn? Are you okay?"

She quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'm...I'm fine, I..." Struggling to swallow, she felt her lower lip quiver while blinking back tears.

Finally she locked eyes with him, glowing sapphire meeting bright ocean blue. "Okay, promise you won't say anything? You'll just...listen?"

He nodded.

"Okay..." Autumn breathed. "Ever since Genesis went rogue, I just thought I'd be smacking that LOVELESS maniac upside the head and dragging his over dramatic butt back to HQ. But then he even tried to kill me, and things just went spiraling out of control from there. When I was tortured, I honestly considered just killing myself as a means of escape."

Cloud's eyes widened significantly, though he still did not say a word.

"But I knew it was the cowardly way to leave things. So I kept taking the pain I was dished out, even though I was screaming so much my throat went raw. Honestly, how stupid could I be to try an undercover mission? And lying there on that cold, hard floor, waiting to die...I was scared. I have so much to do, and then it ends like that? And then I saw you when I thought it was all over, walking over to me. At first, I thought you were an angel carting me off to the Lifestream or wherever,"

Autumn let out a dry laugh, wiping more sweat from her brow. "But it was all real. And even though I was ticked off that you didn't say anything and tried to hide from me, the relief I felt at seeing you again was so much greater, and to be alive and well. But that experience changed something inside of me.

"I come in here every night to train, but whenever it comes to landing the killing blow, I freak. And when a gun is pointed at me or if a sword is about to hit me, I nearly lose it. I keep seeing my torture sessions in the back of my head and all of that unadulterated _fear_ rushes back. And to make matters worse, I murdered my own mentor in cold blood!

"He thought the whole world was suffering just because he was different! And what about me? I'm different, and yet he thinks it's okay to have his pupils kill him to solve things? Did he think that would just _magically_ solve all of our problems? I went through _five days_ of torture, and he expects me to bathe my hands in his blood?! I should've saved him just to slap him until he regained his common sense! I knew I should've brought a Phoenix Down with me, but I didn't.

"What kind of mentor puts his students through that anyway? I...I-I had so many things to tell him, and-" At last the dam broke, the tears that had been so forcefully kept behind her eyelids spilling to run down her flushed cheeks.

Her body racked with sobs as Cloud reached for her, then hesitated. When she didn't pull away, he wrapped his arms around her lean frame, not minding the tears his shirt began to absorb.

She laced her own around his waist, burying her head into his shoulder while they slowly sank to the floor. Dark chocolate strands tickled his neck, which smelled heavily of roses and apples. The brunette was very warm, but that was most likely due to their training session.

For the first time since they were children, Cloud had seen his best friend, Autumn Gainsborough, cry.

But he'd comfort her until she was ready to plow past it, like she always did. And he'd do it as many times as she'd need. After all, he promised to be there whenever she was in a pinch.

He intended to keep that promise.

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you think? Autumn finally lets it all out and Sephy meets one of my OCs. By the way, a reviewer named little101 was on the same page as me! I actually meant for this to happen before you reviewed, hahaha! Great minds think alike, eh? Review, favorite and follow! They inspire me to write more every time.**


	5. How To Crash A Party

**The Inevitable Crisis **

**Chapter 5: How To Crash A Party**

**Disclaimer: FFVII CC still doesn't belong to me...**

Keep Calm: Ugh, sorry for the delay.

Zack: Keep Calm's been kept busy.

Autumn: Yeah, living a very hectic life.

Keep Calm: Indeed I am. Sorry again, I'll try to make the updates less spaced out. Also, to clarify these things: I'm not telling anyone who Autumn is ending up with. It's supposed to be a surprise. Two: I will not be needlessly bashing any characters like Tifa that don't deserve it (even if they aren't my favorite characters).

Zack: Eh, I'm sure they'll forgive you enough to at least leave a review. Anyway, here's Chapter 5: How To Crash A Party~

* * *

**Autumn's POV**

"I'm not going."

Cyan eyes bore into me. "Yes, you are. It has become an order from the Director."

I folded my arms. "I believe 1sts can refuse such orders, correct?"

"There is a limit to that granted power and you know it. The charity event is mandatory, Autumn."

I glared up at the towering general before me, not pleased in the least. "This isn't fair! What does it matter if I go or not? As long as you and Zack are there, it'll be enough right?"

A small, incredulous laugh escaped Sephy's lips. "Are you really asking if the only female so far to make it into SOLDIER and dominate the ranks in only a few years is unnecessary?"

I pouted, mask off considering we were in his office. "Hey, don't say it like that. I haven't made that big of an impression. I'm pretty sure half the people hate me since I'm so...icy."

"Yet at the same time, they cannot deny your prowess or personality. If anything, these people you speak of are jealous of you."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Is it possible that you are refusing to attend because you dislike the social interaction?"

I sighed. "Is it possible that you're making me go because you're being forced to go, too?"

Sephy's lips twitched in amusement. "Perhaps. But you do not need to dress up for the occasion, at least. Arriving in your usual attire should suffice. After all, we are representing SOLDIER."

"I still don't want to do it."

The general pinched the bridge of his nose, probably trying to suppress his exasperation.

"Autumn, I don't particularly care if you desire to attend or not, you are required to arrive and participate."

"But Sephyy-"

"Using that butchered version of my given name will not get you anywhere. Be there at 6 PM, and be punctual." He warned, sending me a stern glance.

For a brief few painful seconds, it almost felt like I was back with Angeal.

I sighed, blowing air into my cheeks. "Well this sucks. I was going to study more on the Ancients. Hojo just _had_ to make everything wordy. I started bringing along a dictionary just to understand the first two sentences."

A sonorous chuckle cause my disgruntled frown to deepen. "It's not funny!"

He waved a gloved hand. "No, I am amused because it is taking you this long to comprehend and understand the few scraps of reports and journals you managed to dig up."

"Hey, I can't be locked in there like you twenty-four seven. If I did, the Director would get mad at me. You have the perks of being the General." I defended, crossing my arms.

"There are not as many advantages as there are downfalls. What have you uncovered so far?" Sephy queried, cyan eyes locking onto me.

"Well, I know that being an Ancient is genetic. But during my time in the labs, Hojo took so many lab tests I was sure he'd have unraveled the mystery. Plus he had seven years to figure it out. But then again, genetics is pretty complicated. There's a theory that it's some kind of rare gene that's activated.

"It feels deeper than that, though. Like...like the Planet _wants_ to connect with us, even when we try to block it out. I've been attempting to cut off my connection with the Planet ever since Modeoheim, and it feels like it keeps holding on to it, like it's keeping me from disconnecting."

My silver-haired friend stared at me in curiosity. "Keeping you from disconnecting? You speak as if the Planet has a mind of its own."

"It does." I stated, earning another incredulous look.

"Okay, well, off-topic. I'll explain another day. You won't understand."

Another sigh.

Sephy pinched the bridge of his nose. "By the day, this situation grows even more complicated and overall _weird_. I must prepare for the charity and file some paperwork. I trust you will be keeping yourself busy until the appointed time?"

I made a face. "Paperwork, hm? I thought Felicity was in charge of that."

He snapped his head to me, eyes widening slightly. "How do you know about Felicity?"

I shrugged, standing from my own spot. "A little birdy told me. So, are you trying to look like you're actually busy when in reality you're going to see if you can weasel out of this event? I mean, since you have an assistant and all-"

Those cyan eyes that could switch from warm to deadly in half a second narrowed in annoyance.

"I was actually going to file some paperwork, for your information. Felicity takes care of it either when I wish not to or if I am too busy."

I snorted. "Riiigghht. Well, I have to go do more research anyway. See you, Sephy."

He huffed, though waved a hand in parting. Tying my mask back on, I turned the handle and strolled out the door.

"Sakura!" A familiar voice called.

Turning, my eyes landed on a blonde infantryman.

"Oh, Cloud. What is it?"

Gaia, I seriously hoped I could hold my ground this time and not get so chummy with my childhood friend again, unlike our last encounter that still made me blush in embarrassment.

Thank the Planet I wore a mask.

Shyly he glanced away, rubbing the back of his head in a way that was strikingly similar to Zack's odd habit. Those two were spending _way_ too much time together. I worried that our next encounter would involve a gushing air of unnerving optimism and a string of lame pick-up lines. Gaia forbid that thing Zack tried he called a 'smolder'. It honestly made my heart cringe, and not in a good way.

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me train again tomorrow, if you're not too busy."

This time I thought about it before I opened my mouth. "I'll have to see. Usually the Director doesn't give me prior notice for assignments or missions."

Phew. It wasn't as good a put-down as I could've given, but seeing his face made it hard to reject him.

"Alright, thanks. And, uh..." He trailed off, hesitating for a few seconds.

I started inwardly panicking, thinking he'd bring up my break down or something.

"I...I was hoping that, maybe sometime when we're both free, we could catch up."

I felt my so carefully frozen heart begin to thaw at his bashful, yet sincere tone. Cloud...why must you know how to pull at my heartstrings? Dear goddess, I was starting to sound like a character out of LOVELESS.

"I don't know...we'll have to see. But I'd love to, it'd be nice to know what you've been up to." I smiled underneath my mask, causing the two of us to blush.

Curse you unraveling soft spot from childhood! I was seriously _this_ close to spitting out a string of profanity to fully express my frustration. I felt like my entire chest was beating loudly, which did not help lessen my embarrassment or confliction.

"Uh, great, then. Could we...exchange numbers? You know, to see when we could arrange this?" Cloud murmured softly, his nerves still on a high.

I shrugged, attempting to wave off the weird feelings I was experiencing. Nervousness and such were things I never liked having.

"Sure." Pulling out my PHS and ultimately dooming myself for further contact with Cloud, we swapped info and awkwardly stood there, wondering what to say.

Despite knowing each other for years and hardly having any uncomfortable situations, they still existed and happened. This was one of them, unfortunately.

"Okay, all set! Now, I uh...I need to go research some stuff!" I stammered, power walking down the hall.

"Uh, right...see you later?" Cloud called out behind me.

I waved a hand in response, trying to focus on anything but my childhood friend/crush. I had to hurry up to the data room - I caught word that Zack was looking for me, and I really didn't want to talk to him.

Handing in my phone and punching in the password, I immediately went to work. A thought crossed into my mind, one that I'd been pushing back for a while out of dread. But now I needed to explore it.

"Now where are you..." I muttered, scanning the shelves.

My fingers finally brushed against the files I'd been looking for.

"There you are." I sighed, pulling it off the shelf. "_The Calamity From the Skies: Jenova_."

Opening the files, I sat down at a desk and began to delve into the research about the alien.

* * *

**With Zack-hours later**

He was conflicted about going to the charity event. On one hand, it was an honor that they'd asked for his presence to represent SOLDIER. On the other, he'd rather spend the evening with his girlfriend.

And Autumn was also going, so that made possibly two negatives considering her mood lately.

But Lazard insisted that the public needed to see the fresh new 1st face and it was also in a way their promotion party, since he and Autumn never really received one due to the hectic events.

So there he was, standing inside a fancy building wearing his SOLDIER attire that had large curving staircases, immaculate honed carrara marble floors, and sparkling chandeliers dangling from the high ceilings. There were pure white tablecloths covering the long rectangle tables filled with appetizers and beverages, most of them containing alcohol. Zack had already cleared part of it, stuffing his face full of delicious sandwiches and crackers with fancy snack cheeses.

At least he didn't have to dress up. Sephiroth had been the first one there, and surprisingly he was the second. Where was his partner? She was usually never late. It was always the opposite.

"Hey, have you seen Sakura?" Zack questioned the silver-haired general beside him.

In reality, Sephiroth wasn't all that intimidating. Unless you were watching him fight seriously. Then he kind of got this scary face and his pupils narrowed into slits.

It freaked the Puppy out _just_ a little.

"If I had, she would be here on time. And after telling her so specifically, too..." The general sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Zack smiled, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. "Hey, I'm sure she'll be here soon! She hates being late."

"Yes, I am well aware. And yet, it is nearly 6 o'clock with no sign of her."

Then, as if being summoned by his words, there she was. Zack had expected a stoic expression with glowing, determined sapphire eyes.

Instead she appeared almost sickly, her skin pallid and the dark circles under her eyes most prominent. Her bright eyes were now dimmed and absent of the usual sparkle she carried.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked, concerned for her well-being.

Autumn didn't even glance at him, only sending a small nod in return. Her broad shoulders were slumped, as if in defeat.

"You sure? You look a little si-" The ravenette continued, reaching out to grab her arm.

She jerked away, sending him a harsh glare. "I'm fine. Leave me alone."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry! But what's going on with you? I've barely seen you at all the past few days, and you keep ignoring my calls-"

Apparently she was really not in the mood for conversation, because she just walked away to speak with the hosts of the charity, putting on a false countenance of cheer.

"...oookaayyy...that was a bit rude." Zack pouted.

Sephiroth glanced at him. "She has not been doing well this week. Buster has become her responsibility and to add to it, she is receiving more and more paperwork and assignments as a 1st Class. Soon you will experience the same. It is a hard process, but she will adjust in time."

He hadn't noticed it when he spoke to her earlier that day, but Zack now realized she'd been just as pale and tired the last time he saw her. Man, when did he go blind?

"Oh." He replied dumbly.

"If you will excuse me, the champagne looks most inviting, especially since the media will arrive soon if they aren't already here." The general sighed, walking over to the table with said bubbling alcohol.

Zack refused to even entertain the idea of drinking. He'd seen what it did to people who weren't careful or aware of their limits. Unfortunately, he was one of those people. Even though he could drink if he desired to-the drinking age in Midgar was 18.

"Are you SOLDIER 1st Class, Zachary Fair?" A warm voice queried.

He turned to face the host of the charity: Clayton Roberts.

Clayton was a few inches below Zack's own height, though his air of authority and cordiality made up for it. Shinra had done charity events and donations to Clayton and his cause several times in the past; though it was never enough to fully fund anything.

"Uh, yeah. You're Mr. Roberts, right? It's nice to meet you." The ravenette smiled, extending a hand in greeting.

"Yes, it is a pleasure to finally meet you as well, Mr. Fair." Roberts returned a grin and the handshake, a slim glass of champagne in his free hand.

"Oh, call me Zack! Mr. Fair's my pops, it sounds weird to be called that." Zack grinned, revealing his rows of sparkling pearly teeth.

Clayton chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure. Well Zack, enjoying yourself so far? I hope you plan to make your own donation, it would truly help move the cause along."

He scratched the back of his head. "About that...what's your cause again?"

"I don't blame you for having it slip your mind. It is to bring supplies and means of rebuilding to the old mining town, Corel. The people there are barely hanging on by threads ready to snap. I've been there-I know." The man elaborated, a pitying shine to his dark brown eyes.

The press had arrived a while ago; Zack had noticed immediately because they were a clamoring group of flashing lights and yelling, but now they'd turned their assault onto himself and the gracious host, disorienting the now distracted 1st Class.

As he attempted to answer the questions presented to him in a frenzy, the ravenette couldn't help but feel like something was off. Glancing around, he saw Autumn slink back into the shadows, splitting off from the Turks Cissnei and some girl with a high ponytail, who also had guarded expressions and were moving fast.

So were Tseng and Sephiroth, who went to shield President Shinra and Rufus. The lights began to flicker, soon blacking out completely and plunging the room into darkness. Now on guard, Zack drew his sword, glancing around wearily as guests began to panic.

And then the chaos erupted.

Windows were blasted apart and shattered, startling the masses of guests in the room as shards of sparkling glass showered upon them. A flash bomb went off, causing Zack to shield his eyes. The lights switched back on to reveal Ravens and AVALANCHE insurgents pouring in from all directions.

Knowing that the President and Rufus were in good hands, he kept close to Clayton Roberts. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he'd be damned if he was going to let anyone get hurt. People screamed and made it harder to locate anyone.

"Sakura, take the left! Shotgun, call it in! We need reinforcements!" He heard Cissnei shout.

Despite being so young for a Turk, she really knew what she was doing.

"Hrraah!" Zack heard his partner let out a battle cry, the swinging of her blade filling the air.

"Zack!" The copper-haired Turk called, catching his attention. "I need you to help escort all of these people out of here!"

"On it!" He replied, ushering the citizens out the back door and slicing down enemies left and right.

Pools of blood sullied the immaculate polished marble floors, and several times Zack had to keep people from slipping and falling. Some flecks had marked his skin. Though the feeling was uncomfortable, it was not unfamiliar nor of great importance at the moment.

The press, of course, were the hardest to motivate, and he could not locate President Shinra or Rufus. A Raven descended from the air to try and tackle Zack to the ground, only for the 1st to whip around, stab the creature in the gut and toss it aside.

So much blood, and so many lives lost. The ravenette felt his conscience stir, questioning if killing was really acceptable under any circumstances. What would Angeal do?

He didn't have time to think about it as he protected the fleeing guests. After everyone was out, Zack followed them to ensure they weren't ambushed. It happened a few times, resulting in ichor splattering onto his uniform.

When it was safe, he faced the terrified guests. "Listen everyone, I'm so sorry this happened. I don't know what's going on, but just know that SOLDIER's got it under control. Go home fast, and stay inside."

Quickly they dispersed, hurrying home as some cried and others remained silent in shock. Zack returned to the building, cutting down Ravens and insurgents alike. When he finally reached where he last saw Cissnei and Autumn, he froze.

Sephiroth was shielding the President from the onslaught of enemies as his partner battled a teen in a full-body suit, a visor shielding his eyes and a mask concealing his identity.

"You are so very close to completion, Sister. Even though I do not favor you, Mother is very pleased with your progress. It's almost time to begin your training." The dark-haired male stated while they clashed swords.

Autumn twirled, sending him back with a side kick. "Is that so? Wow, I'm so honored. Really, I am. Here's the thing: I don't give a _shit_ about your freaking stupid plans, you psychopathic maniac! You are seriously stupid if you think I'll go anywhere with you after you tortured me to near-death! All you've done with your mumbo jumbo is get me pissed, so congrats for that."

He casted Thundaga, causing her to leap out of the way and charge from a different angle. "You will come in time. After all, how long did you expect to stay on this side?"

His smooth words seemed to be affecting her, however slightly. What was he talking about? Had Autumn considered going rogue? Had these two met before?

"That's not up to you to decide!" The brunette snarled, viciously assaulting the mysterious adversary.

Zack locked eyes with Cissnei, who managed to make it over to him as Ravens and insurgents began focusing their attention on them.

"Cissnei, what do you know about this?" He questioned.

"I don't know anything, Zack." The copper-haired Turk answered, though it was hard to tell if she was lying or not.

All he knew was that Autumn was facing off against a seemingly formidable enemy. She might be a fighter, but that didn't mean she was invincible.

"I'm gonna go help her!" He called, though she shook her head.

"If you get between those two, you're definitely going to die. This fight between them is personal. Don't worry; Sakura can handle herself."

Zack continued slaughtering the seemingly endless Ravens as he watched the battle. Autumn swung her legs out to try and trip the young man, but he back flipped and threw a kick at her stomach, only to meet empty air.

Autumn vaulted over his head and slammed her leg against his back in the form of a roundhouse, sending him flying. He rolled to dodge her descending axe kick, whipping around to brandish his dual blades.

She ducked, swiping at his legs again with Wings of Freedom. He barely winced as the blows hit home and kneed her in the gut. Autumn gasped, narrowly dodging his next attack.

When she began to glow a light purple, however, she grinned. Her blade glowed a molten red as she swung her sword, blades of fire shooting out as a result. The teen dodged every attempt, except two (Fire Force Level 2).

The first barely cut his right arm, but was enough to cut the fabric and singe the skin. The second collided with his chest, causing him to grunt in pain as the searing heat easily incinerated the suit's fabric and burned the tender flesh underneath. It blew him down to crash against the hard marble.

Autumn was there in an instant, her legs straddling him as she poised her weapon above her head, readying the finishing blow. The boy's visor had been knocked off, his glowing yellow-green eyes staring back at her in challenge.

"Go ahead Sister. End it. Nothing you do will prevent what is coming. Mother will be proud."

Zack was expecting a quick, clean kill. To see Wings of Freedom get driven into the male's chest where his heart was. But lately, his partner had been surprising him, and continued to when she hesitated. The killing blow never came.

A smirk outlined the mask on the stranger's face. "What? Afraid? Have your nerves finally frayed to the point where you can no longer end a life?"

Autumn's eyes narrowed into slits. No words were needed to convey her ire at the moment, nor what she was thinking: Go to hell.

And with that, she jammed the butt of her sword at his head. Tried to, at least. He moved too quickly, sending her sprawling across the once spotless marble.

"Nice try, Sister. But hesitation is always the bell ringing defeat. Our next encounter will be the last time you involve yourself with Shinra. At least, on their side."

As swiftly and unexpectedly as he arrived, the teenager vanished when the lights blacked out again, practically acting as blindfolds to shield their eyes while he escaped. When they came back on, there was nothing but darkened pools of blood, lifeless bodies, and feathers. Turks swarmed in to help finish off the last of the insurgents and Ravens, and to clean up the mess.

Zack watched his partner while cutting down another Raven. Her chest heaved, breathing labored and fast, and eyes wide with shock. Wings of Freedom clattered to the floor from her hand, the sharp ringing of metal reverberating throughout the cavernous space.

He heard her murmur four words that nearly made his heart stop: "I couldn't do it."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update! Got sick, hacking like crazy, and Christmas came out of nowhere. So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who celebrate it! Review, favorite and follow! They inspire me and make my day!**


	6. Facets of a Heart

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 6-Facets of a Heart**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII CC. Yet... *evil laugh* **

A/N: Attention viewers! I have a poll up asking who Tifa should be with. I can't decide who to pair her with, and who she ends up with will determine other pairings as well. So if you don't want Tifa with a male OC or something, vote now! Thanks, and don't forget to review, favorite and follow!

_"I was always an unusual girl. My mother told me I had a chameleon soul, no moral compass pointing due north, no fixed personality; just an inner indecisiveness that was as wide and as wavering as the ocean." -_Lana Del Rey

* * *

**With Autumn**

_"This is ridiculous. I should not be sitting here idly after Angeal forced my hand to slay him. Plus, Hollander is in custody because of me and my knife! And what do I get right after that as a 'thank you'?__ I was under intense scrutiny, and Zack was later put on standby. Then, the charity had to happen and now I'm also on standby after taking a polygraph test with a psychiatrist, which I passed. That was a while ago, and now Shinra's in complete disarray._

_"I've been sent away on various vacations I don't care for, and the Turks are my constant shadow even though they gave me a bullshit defense that their vacations 'overlapped' coincidentally. Not even Zack's buying it, who happens to be going to the same vacations I am, since Lazard insisted that we have some 'bonding time'. _

_"The things that have been holding me back are fading, so soon I can finally leave. But...why am I hesitating and trying to find excuses?_

_"Why do I still think of SOLDIER honor?"_

A frustrated sigh escaped the lips of a very impatient, grumpy 1st Class. Her ebony locks were tied back into a bun for a change instead of a ponytail, though her blue ribbon still remained.

She poured over the documents she'd 'borrowed' from the data room. Lazard allowed her this one time to take them outside of the sensitive room as long as she kept everything in order and returned them when she was done. It had actually taken her a while to get around to the documents. In all honesty, she was still reeling from what she'd discovered earlier.

Apparently, Jenova was known as the Calamity from the Skies: an extraterrestrial being that caused a massive crater in the North, past Icicle Inn. She already knew what the Science Department called Jenova and various pieces of information from the documents she, Sephiroth and Zack had discovered in Hollander's possession that overlapped with the files she read through in the data room.

Part of the reason why the Northern Crater, as it came to be called, was so abnormally cold was because it had been the result of an intense wound she - it? - had dealt to the area. But...Jenova was also classified as an Ancient. That meant that monster and her were connected somehow, right? Because they were both Ancients, and if that monstrosity had so much power to deal such an impact to the Planet, then...what could Autumn herself do? Even if she was just half, that didn't mean she was excluded from that kind of destruction, did it? What about Aerith? Would they eventually go crazy and relish in the desolation of the entire world?

So, she'd put off researching for a little bit. Her mind had been whirling too much for her to consider delving any deeper into this utterly perturbing discovery. She'd had a lot to think about, after all.

A warm breeze wafted into her room via the open window, seeping through the blinds she had closed. It redirected her focus onto the files.

"Gaia, I'm wearing a bikini for the first time and it's still unbearably hot. Plus it's getting my hair all frizzy from the humidity..." The brunette muttered, tying back her loose, unbelievably frizzy curls with hair pins and wiping away beads of accumulating perspiration.

Though the window was open, she refused to look outside at the ocean view - hence the closed blinds. She'd promised Aerith that they would see the ocean together, and she was going to keep her word. If she wasn't going to be sent out into the field, then the 1st would focus on the data before her.

She also refused to step out of her hotel room, because wearing a bikini wasn't something the brunette was accustomed to, therefore heightening her sense of insecurity. Apparently Costa del Sol didn't have any one-piece bathing suits.

At least she had a sarong. Her bikini was a light blue with black flames lining the bottom and the top tied around her neck and back. Autumn felt so exposed, there was no way she was going out in such an attire. Plus she had to keep her mask on, which wasn't helping anything.

But it was too hot to wear anything else. So she was stuck wearing a bikini in a sweltering humidity inside a hotel room. There was air conditioning, but she'd wanted to have some fresh air so she wouldn't go stir crazy.

As she recounted the craziness of recent events, and the realization that she still valued SOLDIER honor amongst other things, she was glad she kept the window open. It helped ebb away some of her growing vexation as she inhaled the scent of salt water and fresh air.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Leave me alone, I'm busy." The martial artist snapped, rubbing her temples as she continued to read and jot down notes.

"It's me. Can you open the door?" Came a deep, husky voice.

"No. No, I can't. Why? Because I'm in the middle of some very demanding and important work instead of gallivanting around an overwhelmingly scorching area that amplifies my headache." The snappish, sharp edge to her tone did not escape even Zack.

"Weelll, Miss Grouchy-And-Becoming-The-Next-Genesis, did you wanna go down to the beach with me? I was going to do some squats and exercises to pass the time. The ocean's pretty awesome too, so you could cool off in the 'overwhelmingly scorching area'." Zack replied as cheerfully as he could muster.

Autumn started to feel her sympathy begin to weaken the iron walls she'd built so meticulously around herself when she hardened, gripping the pen in her hand tighter.

"No. I'll pass."

"You sure? You've been pretty stressed lately." Her partner pressed, concern evident in his voice.

"I'm more than positive. Go burn under the sun for all I care. Hang out with Cissnei. Give my-" The brunette caught herself before she could reveal anything. "-my friend Aerith a call. I'm staying in here, where the Turks can't aggravate me by shadowing me or staring at me as if I am one of the Science Department's unstable experiments."

"Aren't you friends with the Turks?" Zack questioned, though his curiosity only irritated her further.

"If by the Turks you mean Frey and possibly Cissnei. And with Frey...well, let's just say we befriended each other under very odd circumstances." The 1st responded, continuing her notes.

_"Okay...so Jenova's cells are what's injected into SOLDIER members, along with mako. Therefore, the enhancements in strength, agility and healing come from her cells. But if Jenova is believed to be an Ancient, why didn't I initially have those enhancements? Plus, it has a two-way conduit power of absorbing or passing on genetic traits that was tested through Angeal and Genesis. I should have that, too. Something's not adding up..." _Autumn's lips dropped into a disgruntled frown.

Her concentration was once again broken by Zack's voice. "Okay, well...don't die in there."

She stayed silent and bit her tongue to prevent a reply of any kind. The brunette ignored his receding footsteps and directed all of her concentration into the files she possessed.

_"Aerith, I'm so close," _She thought, eager to finish and finally leave Shinra. _"Even if we have to be apart for a little while longer, I'll come back to you. And I'll find a way to take down Shinra, so we can finally be free. I'm not that useless, crying, weak little girl anymore that feels too much. I can do whatever is necessary now." _

Her eyes flitted across the unreasonably wordy files, going back and forth from the data to the dictionary beside it.

"I promise, we'll be free. Soon..."

_Beep! Beep!_

Her PHS rattled on the desk, prompting her to flip it open and see who was calling.

It was Cloud.

Autumn chewed her lower lip, unsure if she had the will to ignore him. As she felt her will weakening, she wondered just how strong-willed she really was if she kept caving in whenever Cloud popped up.

Her thumb hovered back and forth between 'accept' and 'reject'. Finally, it pressed the green 'accept' option. Pressing the phone to her ear, she grew a nervous smile as she greeted her childhood friend.

"Hey, Cloud. What's up?"

Shame washed over her as she caved, once more, to her best childhood friend and secret crush. She should be focused. She should be laser-focused on only the research she was close to finishing up and hightailing it out of Shinra. So...why?

_"...What am I doing?"_

* * *

**With Zack**

After heading down to the beach, he indeed started his squats. The burning sensation that coursed through his muscles was a familiar, relieving feeling that dwindled away some of his pent-up frustration and restlessness.

Out of his peripherals he saw Cissnei descend the sand-colored staircase, hearing the light taps of her bare feet grow closer. It was hard not to notice her soft light yellow modest bikini that only added to the brightness of the scene and accentuated her copper hair.

In one of her smooth hands was a bottle of some sort.

"Suntan lotion?" She offered cheerily, though the ravenette wasn't in the mood for such camaraderie.

"No, never mind that!" He nearly snapped, his anger and irritation at its peak.

Zack turned his head to look at the female Turk, ignoring her revealed toned stomach and long legs. Now wasn't the time for ogling at other girls, especially when he had Aerith.

"What is this? Are they putting me out to pasture?"

Despite his evident frustration, Cissnei just smiled at him. "You could use some R&amp;R."

It was nice, but avoided answering the question. Or maybe she genuinely didn't know. With Turks, Zack was never certain. Cissnei finished coming down the stairs as Zack took a break from his squats.

"I'm bored! That's it, I'm calling them." He decided, turning to grab his PHS.

"Director Lazard's not in." The copper-haired Turk stated, causing Zack to pause and turn to face her.

"He's been missing for a while now. It was Lazard who was funding Hollander's research, using the company's money." She informed him, folding her arms as she did so.

Zack was shocked, unable to believe the Director of SOLDIER would do such a thing. "Are you serious?"

"We're interrogating Hollander, so we should learn more soon." Cissnei added, glancing away.

The ravenette let his glowing sky blue eyes drift away off to the endless crashing waves of the ocean. It looked so different in Costa del Sol, compared to Junon. It looked brighter, and smelled fresher. Kind of like in Wutai when he'd been near the coastline.

"...What's wrong with them?"

"Hm?" The Turk hummed in question, staring at him with piqued curiosity.

"People. What are they all thinking?" Zack elaborated, his anger now receding.

"The truth lies within each person. But even truth seems suspect once it leaves their mouths..." Cissnei murmured, leaving him with another cryptic answer that he somehow managed to decipher.

After a moment, he abruptly turned to her. "Cissnei, go do something."

As he reached for his PHS with a number already in mind, the copper-haired female smirked. "Calling _Aerith_?"

Instantly Zack whipped around with wide eyes and a blush blooming on his naturally tan skin. "How do you know that? Am I being watched?"

"No, she's the one being watched."

When he made a noise of confusion, she continued her exposition. "That girl is an Ancient. The only one of two left in the world. You didn't know?"

The 1st felt his gaze lower, doubt spreading across his features. "She...never said anything. The only one of two left in the world, huh...She is one of a kind."

Something dawned on him as he stared out at the ocean again, a thought that had not occurred to him when Cissnei initially explained things about Aerith.

"Wait...who's the second?"

Cissnei locked eyes with him once more, and he couldn't help but wonder why she was telling him all of this. Was it non-important information? Or was she risking telling him because it was his girlfriend?

"The second is Aerith's twin sister: Autumn. She's been missing for nine years now ever since she slipped out of Midgar when she was almost eight. Her whereabouts have been a mystery ever since."

If he was surprised before, now he was certainly astonished. Aerith had a twin? With the same name as his partner? And they were the last Ancients on the Planet? Much as he desired to believe in coincidence, that was too big of a coincidence to overlook.

"Are they identical? Would you be able to tell them apart?" He asked, feigning ignorance at the moment.

Cissnei, with her sharp light brown eyes, analyzed him carefully. "No, they aren't identical, so we'd be able to tell them apart quite easily. Our problem is that the latest identification of her that we have in our possession is nearly a decade old - when she was just a little girl. We don't know what she looks like anymore, and we don't have the technological advances yet to digitally generate a prediction of what she might look like. She could be anyone at this point."

_"Like a SOLDIER 1st Class." _Zack mused, wondering why his partner hadn't spoken to him of her heritage or true relationship with Aerith.

Of course, he didn't get to think about it much since Tseng came sprinting down in his Turk uniform with an alarmed expression. "Heads up! Genesis copies!"

Zack, who did not have his sword handy as Genesis copies leapt out of the water with odd-looking guns, instead nabbed a nearby umbrella. It might've looked lame, but it was all he had.

"Genesis copies?!" He exclaimed as he knocked the gun out of one of the copy's hands and impaled it with the tip of his umbrella.

As he defeated the first wave of three, he was glad he kept his materia since more emerged from the deep blue depths before him. Using Firaga, he burnt three more to a crisp. He threw another one over his shoulder to impale it right in the heart with the umbrella.

"Duck!" He heard Tseng call, automatically dropping to the ground as the Turk chucked a grenade at the swarm of about ten copies charging at him. The blast wasn't big enough to blow the ravenette back, thankfully.

Craning his neck, Zack grinned at his Turk friend. "Thanks, Tseng!"

The Wutaian simply continued shooting at the oncoming copies. Redirecting his focus, Zack lunged forward and grabbed a copy by his neck. He dodged the spray of bullets its gunblade fired off, forcing them to aim at a new target: seven other copies. When the bullets ran out, Zack snapped the copy's neck, grabbed its gunblade, and started cutting down copies left and right.

One managed to graze his left arm, resulting in a stab to the copy's gut. He turned to drive the gunblade into the chest of a copy behind him and back-kicked another, making sure he used enough of his enhanced strength to send the copy flying and felt its ribs crack against his foot.

Once Zack yanked out the gunblade from the deceased copy, he looked around cautiously for any other remaining copies. Cissnei and Tseng had killed off the rest, much to his relief.

The ravenette approached one of the bodies with the two Turks right behind him, watching as tendrils of glowing green came off of it, a sign that its soul was joining the Lifestream.

"These guys are still around? But Genesis..." Zack trailed off, confused to no end.

"...Maybe Genesis is still around, too." Tseng theorized, earning a dubious look from the 1st.

"Huh?"

"When the soul leaves the body, it returns to the Lifestream."

The 1st blinked. "Yeah, and...?"

A sigh escaped the Wutaian's nostrils. "The river of souls that circles our planet. Perhaps Genesis's soul is..."

"Controlling copies from the Lifestream? Is this what you're telling me?" Zack asked in disbelief, arms folded and a brow quirked.

"It was merely a supposition," Tseng defended. "In any case, your vacation is over, Zack."

He turned, walking away from the beach with Cissnei, who was beginning to look more and more like his subordinate, in tow. "Junon is under attack by an unknown force. You're going there with me to investigate."

Excitement swelled in the 1st's chest to the point where he felt like he was going to explode as he chased after the two Turks. "Finally, I get to do something! Let's go liberate Junon!"

"Also, as much as I'd like to leave her behind, Sakura must go with us as well. There isn't exactly any other way she'll be able to leave Costa del Sol without hitchhiking at various spots and locations." Tseng added, causing the ravenette's pace to slow.

"Why would you wanna leave her behind?"

It felt like that question just doubled the amount of irritation Tseng carried around. "There are many reasons, but lately the major one is how badly she's been performing in the field. She never lands a killing blow, so it takes her longer to accomplish anything. And you saw what happened at the charity."

There was never a shift in expression or pace with the stoic Turk as he briskly continued walking towards the hotel. "She's losing her touch. I think Angeal's death sent her over the edge."

Zack glanced away, his countenance turning grim despite the harsh rays of the beaming sun and endless, blue cloudless skies. He'd perspired quite a bit, though if anything the female residents just stared at him more.

"Maybe..." He muttered, unsure now if the Autumn he knew was the real one at all.

Cissnei looked at him from over her shoulder, her wavy copper locks bouncing with each step she took. "Perhaps you should talk to her, Zack. There's more than one side to a girl, after all. Maybe she just needs a push to get her determination back."

He locked eyes with her, am embarrassed heat spreading across his cheeks. "Huh? Well...maybe. I'm not really sure she'll want to hear from me, though. Oh! She mentioned she's friends with Frey, whoever that is. Is she here?"

The female Turk sent him a pitied smile. "No, she isn't. She was called away on an assignment. I think she wanted to come badly, too, because usually she jumps at the chance to prove herself and beat her own standards, but this time all she did was complain."

"Ah." Zack scratched the back of his head, feeling the sweat that had gathered at the base and the blood spattered all over himself.

He needed to shower if he was going to converse with his irate partner. Letting her see him coated in blood and sweat was not exactly going to please her or get her to listen to him.

"Guess I have no choice! Unless you wanna talk to her." The ravenette brightly offered, attempting to sway Cissnei's decision with his puppy eyes.

She giggled a little, which only irked Tseng. "Sorry, I'm afraid I don't know her very well yet."

"Whatever you decide, make it fast and inform her of her next assignment. We'll be leaving tomorrow." The Wutaian stated.

Zack stared at him, trying to see beads of sweat or sweat spots or _something_ that assured him Tseng was human. Did he see any? No. How did that work? The guy was in a _black suit_ for crying out loud! And it was past 80 degrees! How was he not fainting?!

"...Well, that settles it. He's not human." He deduced.

"Who isn't?" The said possibly non-human questioned.

Zack jumped. "Er...nobody!"

Damn it, he heard that. Thankfully, there were no more questions after that. Now his thoughts went to Autumn. She was Aerith's sister. Great. That's probably why she was trying to keep her away from him so much. On top of that, the way they met wasn't the greatest, and he acted like a love-struck idiot.

So, strike two.

By Shiva, he probably got more than a hundred strikes by now! No wonder she disapproved of his relationship with Aerith - she probably figured he was still too immature and too much of a playboy to deserve the sweet flower girl. He'd shown her countless times that his relationships with girls never lasted long, though he really didn't try to break their hearts. The fact that Autumn, whom he had angered (sometimes on purpose) and disappointed so many times was his girlfriend's sister, made him want to bash his head against a brick wall and tunnel into a hole to never be seen again. The shame and humiliation that had just crashed down on him was overwhelming.

Was all she said about herself a lie? What if blue wasn't even her favorite color? And he already knew little to nothing about her past, or anything aside from some of her interests and dislikes.

_"Man, oh man...I've been seriously clueless this whole time. For all I know, Sakura Gains/Autumn Gains is just a front. I wonder...what the real Autumn is like?" _Zack wondered.

She always seemed to have other sides of her that tried to poke out behind the mask she always wore. Some were ones that attempted to break down her walls, and others were ones that only bolstered them. The many layers to her got confusing, some times more than others. Who was the real Autumn? Or did she just have an unlimited amount of sides to her that kept changing?

He'd find out soon enough. After all, he still needed to have that little talk with her.

* * *

**A/N: Done! Yes! Sorry this is late! Happy New Year! Even though...it's the 5th...anyways, again make sure to vote on the poll! What do you think? Zack's discovered Autumn's true identity, and she herself is starting to see that she's having hesitations. Well, you know what to do! Review, favorite and follow! They really do make my day.**


	7. Stay With Me

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 7-Stay With Me**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own FFVII Crisis Core...dang it.**

A/N: So...please don't hate me too much for this. I've gotten a few reviews wishing Cloud and Tifa got together, and Zack and Autumn. Just know...all of your reviews are treasured and loved. I'M SO SORRY!

_"It's hard to let go. Even when what you're holding onto is full of thorns, it's hard to let go. Maybe especially then." _-Stephen King, _Joyland_

* * *

**Autumn's POV**

I laughed a little, hearing Cloud do so on the other end as well. It was getting late, but it was still so warm out I hadn't bothered to change yet. It'd been a couple hours since we started talking, and I had yet to hang up.

The shame did not lessen as time passed, only feeling more weighty. But another part of myself urged me to partake in the light-hearted conversation, to forget about the changes I was about to make to my life.

To stall.

"Do you remember the super thick fogs in the fall?" I queried between laughs, beginning to calm down.

_"Yeah, how can I forget? They were so thick no one could see their hands in front of their faces." _My best friend answered in amusement.

Giggles spilled from my lips, a reaction so foreign to me that I surprised myself doing it. "Then, do you remember when you called me outside when we were nine to try and prove you could see through it? You walked right into a post! I don't know what you were thinking. I had to lie to Zangan to get him to treat you 'cause he said, "I'm not treatin' anyone that can't seem to find the common sense _not_ to walk outside in such a thick fog!". Just in case you forgot, I got grounded for two weeks with extra conditioning since I fibbed that I dared you to do it."

A few embarrassed chuckles filtered into my ear. _"Yeah, that was...pretty dumb. But I do remember you taking the hit for me - you pretty much reminded me every time we saw each other. I can't believe you still remember that."_

"Hey! I remember a lot of things, thank you!" I smiled, curling up against my chair.

_"I know. You have a better memory than me, at least. You always have." _Cloud replied, and I could practically see his gentle smile on the other end. My eyes drifted down to the data as my nervous habit of chewing on my lower lip emerged.

"Yeah, I know. I don't know _what_ you would've done without me. I even helped you make half-decent meals on your own. Of course, since your memory is so horrible, I had to write down the recipes for you so you wouldn't be living off of canned food and take-out." I grinned, practically hearing him eye-roll on the other line at the sound of my dramatic tone.

_"Okay, okay. I get it - thank you for everything, Autumn. To be honest, I really don't know how things would've turned out without you."_

Hearing his genuine, soft voice caused me to panic. "Whoa, I - uh, I didn't mean for you to take me seriously. It's not a big deal, really. Helping your mom to teach you how to cook was kind of necessary for you to live on your own in a big city."

He sighed. _"Yeah, but you know how I was with the other kids. They didn't like me, and I didn't like them. I always got into fights with them to prove that I was tough, that I was worth something. Even Tifa didn't notice me until after you came, befriended me, and introduced me to her. You're my first best friend, and you changed my life for the better in Nibelheim. So, er - I-I mean, don't freak out or anything, but I'm just really grateful. And, Autumn-"_

My heart was pounding inside my chest, hammering away so loudly I wondered if he could hear it. "U-uh, hey, Cloud? I have some more research to do. I'll call you back later, okay? It's getting late anyways."

_"Oh, yeah, uh, okay. You must be keeping yourself busy on all of these vacations. Er...good...night." _The blonde stuttered, though it only elicited a smile from me.

"Good night, Cloud."

I finally hung up, basically flinging my PHS onto my hotel bed. I took a few deep breaths to get my breathing back to normal. What was he going to say? No, I already had a pretty good idea. I couldn't bring myself to hear it, I just couldn't.

Picking up my pen again, I jotted down more notes based on the information.

"What...is wrong with me?" I sighed, shutting the window closed to finally activate the air conditioning.

_Knock! Knock!_

I quietly cursed. How long had someone been standing outside at the door? What if they heard my conversation with Cloud? Humiliation caused a heated blush to spread across my cheeks as I called out, "What?"

"It's me. Can I come in?"

"Still a no, Zack." I answered, rolling my eyes a bit. "What is it?"

"We have to head out to Junon tomorrow-new assignment. It's under attack by an unknown force." The 1st responded.

I chewed my lower lip again. "Alright. Anything else?"

"Well...first, can you open the door?" Zack queried.

"No. Just tell me so I can get ready for bed."

I heard him whine from behind the door. "Whaaat? Pleeaasseee open the dooorr~"

The Puppy had returned, as I so observed.

"Still a no! Tell me or go away, I don't care. But I'm not opening the door!" I snapped, wanting to stab something with my pen that kept ceasing in its strokes due to breaks in concentration.

He groaned. "Fine. It's serious, though."

"Zack, I'm not five. Whatever it is, I can probably handle it."

"Okay, here goes...Cissnei, Tseng and I were attacked by Genesis clones at the beach. They came out of the water wearing scuba gear." The ravenette said.

His words caused my heart to constrict, shock running through my nerves like electric channels. So, Genesis had finally made his move. I'd been anticipating it, yet surprise still gripped me.

"Tseng has this wacky theory that he's controlling his copies from the Lifestream. Ridiculous, right?" Zack snorted, clearly not believing in what I knew to be true.

"Or maybe, you know, he's not dead." I replied sardonically.

"What?"

"Come on, you didn't really assume he died by dropping off the edge into total darkness when he has a _wing_ that somehow helps him remain airborne. Genesis has never been suicidal. A pyromaniac, yes. A snarky, egotistical, competitive, jealous wannabe poet, yes. But able to take his own life? No."

"Err...of _course_ not!" Zack protested in a tone higher than normal, which was a rather dead give-away that he was just in denial.

"Wait, so...why didn't you say anything? Why'd you act all depressed when it happened?"

I chewed my lower lip. "I had no way to prove what I thought. But now...now, it's obvious he's making his move. I don't know what he's been up to, but it's evidently not good. Maybe he's the one attacking Junon and trying to break out Hollander."

"It's a better theory than Tseng's. So Genesis was the one..." The 1st trailed off, arousing my suspicion.

"Genesis was the one of what?" I questioned.

It was like I could see him stiffen on the other side of the door. "Nothing!"

Now alarmed, I marched over to the door and swung it open, facing a sight I hadn't expected. Zack had yet to change out of his swim trunks, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Which meant I could very clearly see his extremely toned muscles and six-pack. Sure, I wasn't interested in Zack romantically anymore (it was complicated to begin with-still not sure if I really had been or not), but I still had hormones.

Regardless, I managed to keep my composure as I glared at him. "What did you do?"

I didn't receive a response. Instead, my partner just stood in front of me slack-jawed with his eyes roving up and down. It didn't last very long, only a few seconds. But those few seconds were a sign he wasn't being entirely faithful to Aerith. I sent him my iciest, most withering look yet, which was a startling feat.

"Zachary Fair. What. Did. You. Do?"

He finally made eye-contact with me with fear on his countenance. The brilliantly glowing mako sky blue irises I was glaring at caused flashbacks of Angeal to appear in my mind.

"Uh, right. Er, I might've peeked at your report when I turned in mine. On the second page it mentioned-"

"-Genesis possibly survived the events of Modeoheim considering the experiments performed on him and his ability to fly. Clearly you managed to peek only partially or you would've known that." I interposed, hands curling at my sides.

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, Lazard kinda just accidentally shifted the top paper."

"I can't believe you. If I wanted you to know, I would've told you. Don't go prying into things when it's none of your business!" I cried, though it felt like he was just connecting it to something else.

"Yeah, I guess not. Sorry about snooping and everything, it wasn't right of me. But it still would've been nice to know."

Sighing in defeat, I retreated back into my room and was about to shut the door again. "See you tomorrow, Zack. Don't forget about our assignment and leave me to take care of everything. _Again_."

He jammed the door with his foot, shoving his way past me as the force I was still exerting caused me to slam the door behind me. I whipped around to face him, fury building inside of me like a volcano.

"What the hell, Zack!? Get out of my room!"

The ravenette stared at me, fervently trying to explain. "Wait, just...just give me a few minutes, okay? Please? Then I'll leave, I swear!"

"No! Get out NOW you dolthead!" I nearly shouted, beginning to lose my ever thinning patience. "You have no right to-"

"-I was down at the beach with Cissnei and was about to call Aerith when Cissnei already knew. We got into a conversation about it. Funny, Aerith never mentioned she had a _twin sister_. Well, she never mentioned she was one of the two Ancients left on the planet, either."

Panic blossomed in my chest as I struggled for a way out. "Zack, what she told you-"

"-Is the truth. Cissnei has no reason to lie to me, Autumn. At least, I don't see any. Why didn't you say anything?"

I felt my eyes narrow into slits. "Why do I have to? It isn't your place to know, nor did I ever want to talk about such a subject. What Aerith and I are, and what our relationship is, is none of your business!"

He inched closer, frustration evident in his own features. "Yeah, I get it! But since I'm dating Aerith, I guess it is kinda my business now, isn't it? And you're my partner, I just wanted to know more about you."

Zack got closer so we were about a foot apart. "Autumn, why do you wear a mask? Why didn't you tell me anything? Why can't I know what's going on?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line. "You don't understand. You'll _never_ understand. Besides, I am not feeling very talkative tonight, Zachary."

Now we were inches apart, so close I could feel his quickened, hot breaths fanning across my face. Close enough to tense in preparation for any sudden movement.

"Autumn, I'm your partner. You can tell me anything-I won't judge you or rat you out or anything like that." Zack insisted.

"The higher-ups _made_ me your partner. I don't need to tell you anything." I answered bluntly.

His expression turned to one of confusion and slight hurt. "What's going on? Lately you've been either avoiding me or straight-out ignoring me, you won't accept my calls, you're starting to isolate yourself, and you've become the Ice Queen 24/7. Autumn, what's-"

"I'm going to LEAVE!" I cried, sending Zack into such astonishment his eyes widened ten-fold.

"What...? What're you talking about?" He whispered, clearly not believing what was happening.

I tightened my jaw as I stonily gazed up at him. "I'm going to leave. As soon as what I've come to do is complete, I'm leaving. I need to talk about it with Sephiroth...maybe he'll go with me."

A laugh of utter disbelief left his lips. "Now you're bringing General Sephiroth with you? Has he known all along?"

"I told him once we got back to HQ after Modeoheim. He was the only one I could tell. Not even Aerith is fully aware of what's going on." I elaborated, analyzing him carefully to watch for his reactions.

He raked a hand through his swept-back hair. "This is crazy. You're my partner and best friend, and now you're leaving? I've needed you for someone to talk to and lean on, and now I find out you're gonna desert?"

"I'm not going to hold your hand throughout everything that happens, Zack. What did you think was going to happen? That we were going to remain partners in SOLDIER forever? That is childish, naive and illogical. I thought you were at least smart enough to realize this much."

He roughly grabbed my forearms despite my resistance. "Zack, let go!"

"Are you kidding me?! We've gone through so much together over the past three years, and now you're throwing it all away? You're gonna walk away from SOLDIER? After you worked so hard to get where you are? Was our partnership...was everything a lie?"

Being the cold-hearted bitch I am, I responded with, "To me, it was. I've lied since the beginning. I've lied about everything. You were the clueless one, always thinking you knew better. But you didn't, and never will. It's just...I was lying so well that I started to get confused and found myself beginning to succumb to my own lies. But not anymore. Now, I see everything clearly."

His grip remained firm but gentle, even though I could see the betrayal and hurt in his eyes. "What about our date? What about everything that's happened between us?"

One of Zack's hands left my arm to pull down my mask, tracing my jawline. "For three years, I kept asking you out. There was something different about you, something that I kept finding myself wanting. But you always rejected me, which never happened before. So I tried to become someone you'd say 'yes' to. I don't want you to leave, Autumn. In all honesty, I don't know what life will be like without you now. You've gotta stay. Please."

"Zack, don't-" I began when his lips crashed down upon mine.

For a moment, I was too stunned to do anything. His lips moved against mine, trying to elicit a reaction. His tongue slid out to trace my lips, in which I mistakenly decided to gasp due to surprise.

As his tongue slid into my mouth, I found myself crushed and ultimately confused. Not much of a shocker, but this was my first kiss. And I'd been saving it for someone else. This wasn't the first kiss I'd wanted at all. Not to shut me up, or something that happened because of a heightening of emotions or in the heat of the moment. I'd wanted a genuine first kiss, and now it'd been ruined and sullied.

I instantly reared back a fist to clock him across the face with the arm that had been freed. He stumbled, staring at me in surprise as if he was shocked at his own actions.

"Autumn, I-" He tried to explain, but I didn't want to hear it.

Now seething, I spoke in a disturbingly calm voice. "Get out, Zachary."

"Please, let me explain." The ravenette pleaded.

"You just not only betrayed me, but you betrayed Aerith and you betrayed yourself. You were her first, and you just went and ruined any trust I had in you that you _wouldn't_ screw the relationship up! Aerith deserves better than you, and so do I. From this moment on, our partnership is _over_. Don't expect me to have your back anymore, because I won't be there."

Complying with my demands, he headed for the door with slumped broad shoulders. He turned to me when I was already trembling with anger. "Autumn, I swear I didn't mean to act on instinct like that. I didn't-"

"GET OUT!" I screamed.

He quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. I sank to the floor in mortification and guilt, feeling waves of depression threaten to crush me in its icy depths.

"I'm so sorry. Don't leave because of what I just stupidly did. I'm an idiot, I know. A clueless, bumbling, stupid idiot. But I'm begging you...please, stay. If it's not for me, then do it for Aerith. She needs her sister." I heard him say behind the door, but I didn't care.

He left a few minutes later, leaving me in the darkness I'd grown accustomed to. Maybe the dark wasn't so bad - maybe it was where I needed to be.

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I buried my head in them to wrench out quiet sobs. The salty drops landed on my bare skin, trailing down my legs.

I let Zack kiss me. Even though I knew it was due to shock and confusion, I shouldn't have given him the chance. And it hadn't been a peck on the lips, either. My mouth still contained traces of him, of his taste that consisted of ice cream and mint. I felt so dirty and horrified. Because a tiny part of me liked it.

Not only that, but I finally broke off my partnership/bond with him. I accomplished something I'd planned on doing all along...so why did it hurt so much?

I hated myself so deeply right now.

_Beep! Beep! _

My PHS going off broke the near-silence of my room with its incessant ringing.

I didn't answer it.

* * *

**Zack**

The next day, the four of them boarded the Shinra-issued chopper that landed at 11 AM. Zack glanced guiltily at Autumn as they boarded, knowing she wouldn't look back.

She wouldn't even acknowledge he existed.

Cissnei watched them with wisdom and understanding beyond her years, attempting to lighten the atmosphere by chatting away with Zack about random things.

Be that as it may, she still decided to sit with Autumn. Girls would be girls, he supposed. Still...it was painful to be in this kind of situation. The ravenette knew he screwed up big time.

When she'd thrown open the door, he'd been caught off-guard to see her in a bikini. Her toned, thin waist had never been so exposed, nor had her cleavage due to the bikini top. The sarong had a slit at the side, revealing part of her smooth leg.

Her face, even with the mask on, had been flushed red with alarm and exasperation and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. She'd looked so tantalizing even with all of her still healing scars, for a moment he'd lost composure and forgot he had a girlfriend. Then he just had to step into her room. Talking about the past and his feelings for her sparked something that he thought he'd let sputter and die, which lead to him kissing her out of desperation.

Deeply.

How was he supposed to face Aerith now? There was no doubt Autumn would tell her, anyways. They were twins, for crying out loud! He'd gotten so panicked that he acted on instinct. Or at least, in the hormonal sense.

What kind of hero had he become? If Angeal was here, he'd be ashamed.

_'I screwed everything up so bad this time...some hero I'm turning out to be.' _He thought grimly.

Sitting with Tseng was no longer awkward or intimidating, though now that the Turk was observing him so intensely, it was a bit uncomfortable. Still, he didn't say anything. It was obvious something had gone sour last night, and he'd made it very clear he didn't want to talk about it.

"It's going to be a few days until we can reach Junon, so I suggest you make yourselves comfortable." Tseng stated, though neither of the 1sts responded.

Cissnei was still talking to Autumn, who replied with a forced smile under her mask. Zack wanted to rip his hair out for his stupidity. How could he do this to himself? To Aerith and Autumn?

He had to rectify his mistake. Even though he had liked Autumn for a long while, it was time to let her go and get his friend back. Zack didn't want to be the reason she hastened her departure.

_'I've gotta set things right.' _The ravenette thought, determination blazing in his eyes.

He would _not_ be the reason Aerith lost her sister. Never.

* * *

**A/N: Err...sorry! *flips table to use as a shield from various objects* I hope Zack isn't OOC. It just seemed like something he would do, especially if he was panicking like he was. Considering recent events with Angeal's death in the back of his mind, in my opinion it seemed logical. So...sorry ZackxAutumn shippers. **

**So yeah...please, don't let this stop you from reading The Inevitable Crisis! Also, review, favorite and follow! I'm giving you guys power to decide other pairings through the poll I have up, so make sure to check it out!**


	8. Prove It

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 8-Prove It**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own FFVII CC. But I do own a FFVII AC deck of cards that's totally epic.**

Keep Calm: Uuuggghh.

Autumn: The stress has returned.

Zack: Man...why am I so stupid?

Keep Calm: I don't think anyone can answer that, dude.

Autumn: This convo thing hasn't been up for a while, either. Anyways, Keep Calm's trying hard, but there's a lot going on again, soo...yeah.

Keep Calm: Also, thank you to MiniMonnie, Guest1995, little101, .16547, and Ethereal780 for reviewing in regards to not only this chapter, but previous ones as well. They're very appreciated and I love to hear your guys' thoughts.

Just to clear things up, since I've been reading the reviews and there seems to be the wrong conclusion...that moment with Zack and Autumn wasn't one out of love or even requited desire. Zack acted on impulse and Autumn acted as quickly as possible to reject his impulsion.

Remember, that was her first kiss, so of course she's going to be shocked as well as extremely confused. What I'm trying to say is...Autumn did not reciprocate anything. Quite the opposite, actually.

Also, **PLEASE** vote on the poll! I know as an author, I should be able to decide the pairings for myself, which is what it's coming to, but I'm giving you readers a chance to decide for yourselves. If you don't want pairings that might upset you, check out the poll!

_"There will be haters, there will be doubters, there will be non-believers, and then there will be you, proving them wrong."_

* * *

**Autumn**

She exited the chopper after Cissnei, the strong winds created by the movement of the propellers whipping her hair and sending it into a frenzy she couldn't gain control of.

It irritated her to no end, on top of the fact that Cissnei, in comparison, still had relatively perfect sleek wavy copper hair. Why wasn't her hair like that? It was even in a _ponytail_ for Gaia's sake!

She shook her head. No, _focus_. It was time to step up and be a SOLDIER 1st Class, not an envious teenage girl. She - despite loathing Shinra with all her being - didn't want to disgrace the uniform. Plus, she'd grown fond of the female Turk.

Cissnei wasn't the most open person in the world, she was a _Turk_ for Gaia's sake. But the girl was nice enough, and she deserved better than petty jealousy.

A scowl remained on her masked face, however.

The reason being the ridiculous length of time it took to arrive. Even with the chopper going full-speed, it took a little over half of the entire day. What if half of the Junon citizens were dead already?

For an exclusive ride that was supposed to be there in a jiffy, she wasn't impressed so far.

So, she spent hours with Cissnei talking about...basically random things. Sometimes it would switch to mission reports or Cissnei teasing her about how many SOLDIER evaluations, infantry cadet assessments, files about Turk-scouted hopefuls and more were waiting for her in overflowing amounts.

Autumn was beginning to get the feeling that she was going to take up Genesis's desk duties, which only made her wish for his return even stronger. If she was replacing Genesis, that meant that Zack would...would take the place of Angeal.

She wasn't prepared for that kind of change yet. The wounds were still so fresh, she and the rest of SOLDIER needed more time for their emotional wounds to heal. Only recently had those blows been dealt and made them bleed. This was just like rubbing salt into their injuries.

But the world still pressed onward regardless of their grieving, so at the same time she frustratingly understood.

A particular question came up that truly revealed the copper-haired Turk's bluntness, in which it snapped the 1st out of her sullen musings. She'd asked why Autumn smelled so heavily of mouthwash and toothpaste. Which meant she had to grace Cissnei with an answer, otherwise she'd be left in awkward silence.

"I was getting rid of a bad taste that wouldn't go away."

Yes, the 1st actually did say that in a cramped enclosed space thousands of miles above the ground while directly insulting someone. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Zack flinch, unsure of what to think when she felt a twisted sense of satisfaction swell inside her.

Well, he deserved it. And she'd meant to cut ties with him anyway, it was only a matter of 'when'.

Autumn scrunched up her face after getting a whiff of the Junon air. "Oh, geez...I'd forgotten how bad it smelled here. Tyler was right when he said it reeked to high heaven."

"Is that really the first thing you notice?" Tseng sighed, almost as if he were reprimanding her.

"I don't know, I nearly assumed half of the problem dissipated on its own considering it took _hours_ to get here!" She snapped, not appreciating the condescending attitude she was receiving.

They were all shocked into silence when their eyes landed on the streets of Junon, which were overcrowded with fleeing citizens. Screams accompanied by popping gunfire filled the air, as did the choking scent of smoke.

Fires raged and flanked the streets as Genesis copies pursued the terrified populace. Bullets tore through the bodies of men, women, and even a few children. Autumn resisted the urge to wince at the loud cracks of guns piercing her ears due to her enhanced, sensitive hearing.

She and the others quickly drew their weapons of choice, with the Turks and Autumn shooting down a few copies that were killing the citizens. She'd improved at attacking, even nearly killing from long distances. Now if only she could manage in close-combat...

"Genesis copies here, too! They're just running wild!" Zack exclaimed, deflecting a few stray bullets.

Autumn's eyes narrowed in suspicion. They weren't exactly running wild. Sure, they were hunting down the citizens, but it was also as if they were driving them away from something...

She brought down the blunt side of Wings of Freedom onto the head of a copy, seeing it crumple to the ground despite the protection its helmet provided, which now had a rather large dent at the top.

The 1st swerved out of the line of trajectory of another copy's bullets, using her sword to deflect the ones that soon caught up with her.

Sprinting forward, she grabbed the arm of the copy holding the gun, kneed it so the firearm was instinctively dropped, then threw a powerful punch to its stomach. The impact sent the copy into a state of unconsciousness as it slumped in her arms, prompting her to drop it.

Zack had driven his blade through the chest of the final copy, its blood splattering onto the ravenette's bare arms and his turtleneck.

She grimaced, looking away from the scene. Flashes of Angeal's death caused her to shut her eyes, if only for a few seconds.

"Hollander is currently in Junon," Tseng stated, kneeling beside a blacked-out copy. "His presence here and this attack can't be unrelated."

The ravenette shut his eyes in dread. "It's not over, is it?"

Silence was all he received, though it properly answered his rhetorical question as Tseng stood erect.

"We'll begin evacuating the residents. Sakura, Zack, you find Hollander and make sure he's kept safe."

There was something about the tone of his voice that caused Autumn's lips to upturn. It was clear he didn't trust her to be by herself, which probably resulted from the events of the charity. She wanted to be alone for this mission, especially considering recent events. Apparently she couldn't catch a break.

Zack frowned, crossing his arms in obvious displeasure. "You're making me babysit Hollander? Don't you think I'd be put to better use on the battlefield?"

The Wutaian looked down at the copy with blank eyes. "Hollander has access to top-secret information. The president insists that his safety be priority one. After Lazard's sudden disappearance, SOLDIER's chain of command has been shaky at best. This attack is an attempt to exploit that weakness. Zack, Sakura, you must protect Hollander."

The 1st mentioned stared at him skeptically. "Why do I have to go with him? I could be put to use clearing the streets and helping with the evac."

Tseng shook his head. "We don't know how many copies there are, and two is always better than one, especially if they're both 1st classes. Do you have an issue with my orders?"

She placed her hands on her hips, evidently fearless of the company man. "Just a little bit, yeah. It sounds like you want me to be with Zachary only because you don't trust me by my lonesome. If you have a problem with me, Tseng, tell me face-to-face."

It did not pass by the Wutaian how she said the ravenette's full name, or the fact that he grimaced afterward.

Still, if she was going to challenge him, so be it. He sent her a chilled gaze, one she instantly returned.

"Very well, if you wish for confrontation. You're getting soft. You think people haven't noticed that you can't land the killing blow anymore? They are always watching you, Sakura, because you revolutionized SOLDIER. You made it when no other female survived the process, and after the charity especially, the company has been on edge, observing you. So far, you have not given them reason to believe you are reliable."

The brunette laughed in disbelief. "_Reliable_?! Are you kidding me?! I have given _everything_ to SOLDIER! And now, after I'm struggling a little after _killing my mentor_, I'm deemed _unreliable_?"

"Recently, that is all you have demonstrated. Perhaps you can prove me and the company wrong by seeing this mission through." The Turk retorted, his voice still as emotionally detached as ever.

The copper-haired Turk that was observing silently watched as a fire ignited in the brunette's glowing sapphire eyes. She might not know the female very well, but there was something about her that was inspiring.

Perhaps it was the way she somehow held Tseng's intense gaze, her jaw jutting out just a bit in defiance, or her bold confidence that caused the 1st to question things people normally did not mention out of fear or insecurity.

"Fine, if that's what it takes. Bring it on." Autumn replied, a stony edge to her tone.

The Wutaian nodded, their conversation (argument) finally ceasing. What the brunette failed to notice but the female Turk did not, was the slight smile on Tseng's usually stoic face that appeared for a few fleeting seconds. Apparently, both of the SOLDIERs had grown on him.

Cissnei's hardened brown eyes traveled from the brunette to Zack. "Hollander is currently being held in a detention center on the 8th level of Upper Junon. You can use the emergency elevator to go up. It's at the end of this path. Zack, Sakura, we're counting on you."

"Hollander is still being interrogated. He can't fall into enemy hands now." Tseng stated, and it was then Zack got his act together.

He nodded, any traces of annoyance or immaturity wiped clean from his countenance. "Understood."

"Sir yes sir." Autumn answered as the four of them split up.

Neither of them spoke as they fought their way down the streets. Zack further painted the dark-colored roads with crimson blood while the brunette accompanying him either used materia from a distance, the blunt side of her blade, or her martial arts in a non-killer fashion.

A palm-strike here, a neck-chop there. Sometimes she was forced to throw harder punches and kicks, like slamming her foot against a copy's side with a jumping, spinning roundhouse with such decimating force she heard its ribs crunch in protest, or hitting one with a single knockout punch.

Her fingers tingled with remnants of magic, in which she was becoming quite creative with. Autumn concentrated on shooting out balls of fire from TriFiraga with a bit of a struggle, sending them blasting at copies as she felt herself nearing the need for an ether. Thank goodness she was at least a little versatile in areas of combat, despite her slight difficulty at times with materia.

If she was going to prove Tseng wrong, she just had to keep Hollander out of the enemy's hands. Though it was difficult to say or even think 'enemy' considering it was Genesis. Clearly either his mind had become so warped by the degradation he was no longer the same man, or he'd strayed so far from his own morals that he didn't care anymore.

Suddenly the two halted when a rain of bullets exploded from three copies ahead, blocking their way. Dodging the projectiles, the two 1sts quickly advanced on their adversaries. Hopping around bullets, Zack sliced down a copy as Autumn sent another into dreamland with an uppercut that she suspected broke its jaw.

The final copy was left to Zack.

Gaia, she couldn't even _look _at the aftermath! Or Zack for that matter, considering his arms were littered with blood. So was a bit of his torso. But she had observed his fighting skills, and could honestly admit he was improving. There was a sort of gracefulness to his dodging and attacks that wasn't there before.

Good for him, not like she really cared. It wasn't as if she'd had anything better to do than watch.

The brunette checked her equipment to make sure nothing had been damaged amidst all of the fighting. The sea chocobo armlet, made of looping gold with sea-blue rings in the middle, was fine. So were her kaiser knuckles, Shinra Alpha, dragon armlet and crystal bracelet.

Good to know going on so many missions paid off in the end, especially with all of the items she'd raided. She needed to visit her cache again - her bag was seriously starting to overload, as were the drawers in her apartment.

After she was done, the 1st stepped into the elevator with Zack in complete silence, hoping it was a short ride as she downed an ether at last, feeling a surge of renewed strength quickly after.

She didn't want to talk to Zachary anytime soon.

* * *

**Zack**

Once the elevator dinged, signaling for them to exit, they ran out only to skid to an abrupt halt. He felt his eyes widen at the sight of several 3rds and 2nds strewn across the floor, unconscious.

He hoped they were just unconscious, at least.

Blood seeped from some of their wounds. Feeling an inner rage he quickly reeled in, his eyes trailed up to the man responsible.

It was...

"Genesis!?" Zack exclaimed in disbelief, then noticed the sword with the attached revolver instead of the Rapier.

"No, it's just a copy." He muttered to himself, hearing Autumn let out a sigh of relief behind him, unable to fully see their opponent due to the fact she was directly at his back and her height was nearly half of his own.

"I'll deal with this guy, go on ahead." The ravenette told his now former partner.

She said nothing, only drew her blade and instead knelt beside a 3rd Class, pulling out her nearly mastered Curaga.

"Wha-Sakura, what're you doing?" Zack frowned, though his attention was soon taken by the copy, who had tried to shoot him in the head.

"They have names and families. His name is Faust," She paused, attempting to speed up the healing process of the materia and casted Barrier, "I trained a few of these SOLDIERs, and they're the ones with minor injuries." Autumn murmured to seemingly no one in particular, even though Zack was right there.

He didn't blame her, though. Not for any of it. He was the one at fault in this case.

If the situation wasn't so serious, he'd probably smack himself for being so insensitive and stupid. Why? Just..._why? _In what universe would it ever have been acceptable to go and do what he did? Especially when he had a _girlfriend_!

Twisting away from the bullets shot at him, Zack lured the copy away from the SOLDIERs and Autumn, who had cast Barrier to protect herself and the SOLDIERs. When a thrust was directed towards his chest, Zack parried and disarmed the copy. He immediately lunged, blood splattering on his chest for what seemed to be the hundredth time as the Buster Sword impaled it through the stomach. The metallic scent of the crimson liquid hung heavily in the air between the injured SOLDIERs and the defeated copy.

Even he got a bit nauseous at the sight, so he turned around to Autumn, who was on her knees applying Hi-Potions and Curaga, as well as old-fashioned methods like gauze to bind up what looked like her fourth patient if she saw they had broken bones that would've otherwise healed crooked or dislocated joints.

Wow, she worked fast. Maybe she really was cut out to be a doctor.

What Zack failed to notice was that she managed to heal the SOLDIERs' wounds completely without the possibility of scarring in a manner of minutes, erasing any trace of the injuries.

"Don't just stand there. Help. Some of these guys won't make it if you don't." She ordered, tossing him some bandages, a few Super-Potions and a new Curaga materia. Apparently hers had finally been mastered and produced a fresh one.

"Okay, hopefully this won't take too long." Zack muttered, worried about Hollander.

He despised the man, but if he ended up back in Genesis's hands...the alternative made him shudder.

"Don't make any sudden movements or you'll end up worsening them!" Autumn snapped, eyeing his moment of disgust whilst in his thoughts as he tended to a 2nd Class.

"Sorry, sorry." The ravenette winced, regretting his lack of focus.

He actually knew the guy he was tending to. His name escaped him...it was something along the lines of Damon. He'd been one of the SOLDIERs Zack had trained, which only made him work faster when guilt struck him. As a combined force, half of the SOLDIERs were healed and cared for under ten minutes flat. His partner - _former_ partner - stood up, wiping a little bit of dampness from her brow. It took a lot for a SOLDIER to sweat, after all, so it wasn't surprising that she'd barely broken out in a glisten.

"Dang, there's a lot of them." She remarked, about to kneel back down when she froze.

Zack heard the elevator groan, automatically pointing the Buster Sword at the door while he slipped into a fighting stance. When a 3rd darted out in alarm and instantly reported to Autumn, he allowed himself to relax.

"Hollander has escaped the detention center!"

A heavy sigh, one that lacked restraint, left the female 1st as she attempted to wipe the blood off her hands. "You're kidding me."

"What!? They attacked the detention center?" Zack exclaimed.

Wasn't it heavily guarded? How had the copies managed to get so far?

"No, but security was spread thin after the attacks in the city, and he used that opportunity to escape." The 3rd answered, only causing the disbelief in Zack to rise.

"So, he found a way to escape on his own!?"

How the literal _hell_ did something like this happen? How could Hollander have gotten so far away anyways? The man wasn't exactly in top shape.

"The timing of the attack was just too perfect. It's very possible that Hollander is getting outside help." The 3rd elaborated.

"I knew it. It didn't look like the copies were in a frenzy - it looked like they were driving everyone away from something. They were luring out the security from where Hollander was located and caused a distraction by attacking the populace." Autumn commented, kicking the ground in frustration.

"Which way did Hollander go?" Zack questioned, reigning in his heightening ire.

"Security cameras on the 6th level have a positive identification on Hollander. This just happens to be the 6th level, so he should be somewhere ahead. Lower Junon and Upper Junon are connected by a central passageway."

The 3rd went into the specifics of how to proceed to Upper Junon. When he was finished, Zack flashed him a comforting smile. The poor guy was trying so hard to keep it together.

"Thanks. If you can tend to the wounded, it'll be a great help. We managed to get to about half of 'em, but if you could finish it up, it'll be really appreciated."

"Certainly!" The 3rd replied.

"Meanwhile, I'll go protect Hollander from himself!"

The still unnamed 3rd nodded, watching Autumn quickly leave the scene to sprint ahead. "Not if I get there first. You're on your own, 1st."

"H-Hey!" He called out, beginning to chase after the brunette that had gone from calling him by his full name to just '1st'.

Zack was having a hard time dealing with this. It was so difficult to resist talking to her, just out of habit, because they had always been such an outstanding team. They'd been a dynamic duo, a force to be reckoned with. Now...now, they were practically strangers. It was shocking how distant Autumn had become in the last several weeks, and it was just hitting him now.

She'd become so taciturn around him it was like he barely even existed to her. That, more than anything else, broke his heart. He didn't care anymore if the 1st rejected him romantically; he just wanted to be part of her life again. To banter and laugh like they used to.

As he trailed behind his former partner and friend, the pang of longing resounded in his chest whilst staring at her back and her long ebony tresses flying about in her ponytail. He just wanted everything to go back to normal.

Zack wanted his best friend back. All he had to do was get back in her good graces by showing her something like that would never happen again.

Simple as that, right?

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the SUPER delayed chapter! My laptop's been a piece of crap lately and went as slow as possible. It was unbearable how much it was lagging. So, Junon has happened! Once again, I openly accept and enjoy reviews, favorites and follows! They truly do inspire me to write more. It's just that a lot's been going on as of late.**


	9. A Change in Plans

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 9-A Change in Plans**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII CC. Obviously.**

_"Plans are invitation to disappointment." _-Derek Landy, _Mortal Coil_

* * *

**Location: Junon - Level 6**

**Autumn's POV**

A copy gracefully sprinted towards me, his sword pointed down at the ground and scraping against the pavement, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake. Two SOLDIERs paid the price for opposing him, collapsing face-first on the road as I approached him.

It was a good thing I'd been upping my training, since this copy seemed to be a step up from the usual judging by its gunblade and the strength behind its strokes.

The copy swung its gunblade in an upward arc, but I twirled out of the way and just kept running. It seemed confused long enough for me to get far enough for its shots from the revolver of its gunblade to lose accuracy.

"HEY! What the hell?!" I heard Zack yell, evidently befuddled and peeved I'd left the stronger copy for him to deal with.

I considered responding, but what good would that do? He'd still be mad at me either way, and I was fine with that. So I just waved a hand without glancing back.

_"Thanks for taking care of my little copy problem, Zachary." _

That's what he got for going against my sister and screwing up yet another one of his many relationships. I should've known better than to give him a chance; he was practically known for his pretty face and short-lived romances.

Continuing to race down the street, I didn't halt even when faced with Genesis copies. I simply knocked them out of the way or used my materia.

Once I caught sight of Hollander just leaving a building, I was already only about twenty feet away.

Instead of yelling at him to freeze - which never really worked anyway - I simply tackled him to the ground. He yelled in protest as I flipped him over and punched him using some of my SOLDIER strength, which knocked him out.

I smirked, not bothering to heal his purpling bruises. _'Two for Autumn: Zero for Hollander.'_

It helped bring me out of my gloom and doom mood to finally catch the bastard. I started to approach the unconscious scientist when I heard shots ring out, just barely managing to dodge an incoming spray of bullets.

"Seriously?! What, now that 1st can't even handle some knock-offs?"

"I heard that!"

Well, good.

"And for your information, I totally beat them! They just keep springing up like daisies!"

"I think you mean pushing up daisies, and that's for people already dead, Fair.

Sighing, I pulled out a pair of cuffs Cissnei lent me. She really was too nice to be a Turk, though at times she did pull the whole I-have-no-emotions-get-ready-to-die face.

After cuffing Hollander, pulling out my blue ribbon to use as a gag and hiding him between two pillars of a massive shop, I turned to block another barrage of lead.

"Target's down and detained, so I suppose I can help you out with your little copy problem now."

"That's only because you sprinted ahead and left me to deal with these guys!" Zack argued.

He wasn't wrong, but I didn't particularly care. I was ready to punch someone again with the adrenaline singing in my veins and SOLDIER enhancements making everything more sensitive than a normal person would perceive.

Rolling my eyes, I readied myself for another magical attack. While dodging the bullets, I cast Thundaga, watching the bolts of lightning strike all of the copies. The stronger one with the gunblade remained standing, having blocked the attack somehow.

_'Looks like the enemy has an accessory protecting it from lightning-based attacks. Time to change my approach.'_

I switched out my Thundaga materia for my barely used Blizzara. The air reeked of magic at this point, and my hand was buzzing from use. Throwing out my hands, I shot the block of ice out to the copy, who was too distracted by Fair to notice the incoming attack. It hit home, sending the copy to the ground. Blood seeped from its head. Despite its injuries, the copy got back onto its feet.

The only reason I allowed it time to do so was to rid myself of the increasing desire to beat someone brutally in close combat.

"Resilient, aren't you?" I sighed, charging forward to lock blades with the copy.

Bringing up my fist, I punched it right in the face with a reverse punch. Blood dripped from its nose, which was broken. I punched it again in the throat, causing it to stagger and give me the chance to...not slit its throat like I was supposed to, but instead knock it out with a roundhouse.

Goddess, I missed this. I was reluctant to kill anyone, but I'd forgotten how much I _loved_ the heat of battle. How it felt to punch someone clear across the face. How it felt to use the power of my own body to disarm and contain a target. I was made for this.

"Uhh...Sakura?"

"Not now, Fair! Can't you see I'm busy?" I snapped, casting Thundaga on a weaker copy.

"But-"

"NOT NOW!"

I whipped out my gun to shoot another copy, refusing to look at the aftermath and instead cast Barrier once again before a flurry of bullets from an assault rifle could get to me. After I cast Firaga, the final burnt - but not dead - copy fell at my feet.

I turned to Zachary, who was actually glaring at me for once. "Okay, what is it?"

He pointed toward the metal doors ahead as they closed shut. "Hollander just escaped."

"WHAT?!" I screeched, looking for the unconscious ex-scientist I'd placed between two pillars, only to find a vacant spot.

"How the _hell_ did he escape?! He was out cold! This is _not_ possible!" I yelled, gripping my hair in frustration.

Then I spotted the ashes of a Phoenix Down, which had obviously been used on Hollander to regain consciousness and lose the bruise that had been forming. Apparently, by the looks of it, a copy managed to use it on him before dying.

"Damn it! Why didn't you stop him?!" I growled, running towards the doors and slamming my hand against the button to open it.

"I couldn't! I was busy with the copies!" He defended, though it didn't really make a difference to me.

Well, I'd call bullshit but then again this was Fair who had the attention span of a gnat. No wait, even a gnat could at least focus on a rotting fruit. Fair's was worse.

I sprinted down the area to see a smug Hollander throw himself against the panel to open the next set of heavy metal doors. So the copy could revive Hollander, but not uncuff or de-gag him? The logic of knock-offs.

As soon as the gates opened wide enough, a tank I had never seen before rolled in to instantly eject several mini-bot things that hovered in the air like 'copters. Seeing as how I was already in a foul mood and it just kept souring, I charged ahead, cut down the bots that got in my way, and avoided a very big missile by leaping over it.

From there, I cast Thundaga to shock the tank a little as I flipped, descending rapidly and slicing the tank in two. Pulling out my hidden knife, I threw it at the button for the gate and continued sprinting after swiping my much smaller blade off the floor. I vaguely heard Tseng call out for me to stop, but I just couldn't.

Not when my reputation and possibly my career were at stake.

"I'm going after Hollander, keep up if you can, Fair!" I yelled behind me.

"...S...Sakura?" I heard a very familiar voice murmur in disbelief.

I skidded to a stop at the other end of the gates, my eyes widening at the sight of a paling Cloud. I wasn't sure if he was paling because of me or because his motion-sickness acted up again, but I was hoping it was the latter considering the fact that, every time I wasn't on some fruitless and pointless vacation, I'd been using up my spare time by researching _and_ sparring/teaching the blond.

I still beat him every time, but at least now his mind had sharpened and become more calculative, his movements were smoother and fiercer, and he actually had enough stamina and agility (plus some acrobatics tricks I'd thrown in there to help with evasion and to show off) to survive a spar longer than five minutes.

"Cloud?" I started to say, but the gates closed before I could tell him anything. "...this can wait."

I couldn't think about him at the moment, or the fact I could very well be getting in over my head. Wait...I'm a freaking 1st Class. Screw it, I'll do what I want.

The moment I saw Hollander advancing towards the gates, I felt my speed increase as I started to "see red" in a sense. He was heading to the airbase, where he'd definitely either meet up with Genesis, some of his knock-offs, or hop on a little plane himself and leave nothing his aggravating laughter behind.

_Goddess, _could I _please_ just attempt to kill him?! If my body would even let me...

"HOLLANDER!" I shouted, tackling him once again to the floor and punching him not once, but three times with more force than necessary. Blood streaked across his face from his newly broken nose and a split lip.

He'd seemed a bit smug, so I concluded there was still something up his sleeve. And sure enough, a hoard of mechs descended to head straight for the gate I'd just left. My phone started ringing, and even though I was seriously tempted to ignore it, I felt it was probably important this time.

"Gains. What's your status?" I sighed, slicing through the first wave of mechs and casting Blizzaga to take out the rest of them.

Of course, there were more on the way, so I was hoping this would be a quick little chat instead of those twenty-minute-long expositions I got from Fair.

_"Gains, I have secured the refugees in the tunnel you just left to pursue Hollander. How are things on your end?" _The deep, no-nonsense voice of Tseng questioned.

Thank Shiva it wasn't Fair; I definitely wouldn't have gotten the info so fast.

"I have tracked down and detained Hollander. He won't be going anywhere for a while. But it seems there's endless waves of mechs intent on destroying the tunnel the refugees are in; must be a part of Hollander's ploy to escape while we're distracted with his decoys. He was headed to the airbase: should I proceed or help Fair with defending the perimeter?"

I was still taking out those Crazy-Saw mechs, which were pretty annoying since they were constantly trying to avoid me mid-air and then drill me to death. Slicing them to pieces was satisfying.

_"Not necessary. Proceed and then report back what you find. I think Zack will be more than capable of fending off the incoming mech waves solo."_ He replied, and I nearly squealed in delight.

No more Fair holding me back or trying to get on my good side. I could just focus for once.

"Excellent. Gains out." I grinned, snapping my phone shut and kicking a metal saucer into the pavement with a drop kick.

While Fair seemed to be taking his sweet time, I was stuck slicing, dicing, casting, punching, shooting, and kicking through endless amounts of mechs. They were mostly just Crazy-Saws and Metal Saucers, but needless to say I was kind of dancing around a bit.

Until I glowed pale lavender.

Smirking, I channeled the energy into my sword, which glowed a bright white.

"Light Force IV, coming your way!" I declared, brandishing Wings of Freedom so massive blades of light shot out to annihilate the masses of metal. Bits and pieces of the road got swept up as well, flying with such force they tore holes through some of the mechs.

When it was over, clouds of dust from the aftermath threatened to make my eyes water. Oil, random mechanical parts, and savagely defeated mechs lied scattered about on the not-so-nice pavement. It reeked of machinery and magic, as my nerves were still on a high from using so much materia. But...it still wasn't over.

Needless to say, I wasn't gonna come out of it unscathed judging by the numberless discolored spots on my arms and probably on my legs and back, as well as some scratches and puncture wounds. My uniform was getting torn up and my pauldrons had new dents in them. I wasn't about to back down, though.

"Oh _come on_! How long is this gonna take?!" I exclaimed, ready to tear out my hair that, as I just seemed to notice, had gotten so long it was nearly past my back.

I made a mental note to get it cut before it hindered me in battle and in daily life. The metal gates slid open at last to reveal a grinning Fair, who already had the Buster Sword drawn.

I bristled at the sight of him. _"Honestly, he should _not_ be grinning at a time like this! _And _he made me wait!"_

"Oh, guess I missed most of the party, huh?" he smiled sheepishly, beginning to take down the remaining mechs.

"Just wrap it up and keep an eye on Hollander. I'm going ahead to see who he was planning on meeting at the airbase." I stated coldly, sheathing my sword and running ahead before he could say anything.

If his plan was to act like nothing happened in an attempt to get back on my good side, he had another thing coming.

I didn't forgive easily, and that was the last thing I intended on dishing that puppy.

* * *

**Location: Junon - runway**

**Autumn**

She'd taken a moment to down a Super Potion as well as an Ether, seeing how she'd have probably passed out from overusing her materia if she didn't.

After that, she practically sprinted up to the next level, where she slammed her hand down on the panel to open the heavy metal doors to the airport. They groaned open, sluggishly parting for the female who got so impatient she simply squeezed past when it was wide enough.

She _was_ going to continue on to see who Hollander had planned to rendezvous with, when she heard something obviously _huge_ approach her from behind. All of her senses were tingling as she skidded to a stop, whipping around to settle her glowing sapphire eyes on a massive mech with the form of a scorpion.

It leaped over to land in front of her, prepared to gun her down or impale her or however it planned to dispose of her. She instinctively drew Wings of Freedom, clearly irritated by the new obstacle.

But she didn't complain. She was trained for this, and she'd be damned if something as insignificant as a Scorpion Mech got in the way of completing her assignment.

The mech emitted an EM field that burned half of her pants and the skin on her arms, shortly before using a Target Search to lock onto her. Running away from missiles or slicing the shells in half, she aimed at one of its legs to amputate the metal part, except the mech didn't exactly make it an easy task.

_"Okay, I guess I'll just lop off its missile arms instead." _The brunette shifted into an offensive position, poising her sword at the mech.

Darting forward, she danced around the scorpion mechs missiles and clunky legs, flipping over to cut one of its arms off in the process. One down: one to go.

_"I probably shouldn't use my materia unless I really have to...my ethers are almost all gone. At least my accessories are helping me out." _She thought, spinning away from sprays of bullets.

Taking a chance, Autumn hopped onto the mech's back, sliced the other arm off at the socket, and stabbed it through its head. Sparks crackled as wires hissed, the circuitry of the scorpion mech smoking. Not wanting to take any chances, she used the limit break that had been building inside of her.

Sheathing her sword, the 1st channeled her Firaga materia into her fists, rearing back her left one to deliver a powerful reverse punch into the mech's back. The armor and metal melted from the fire and the blast caused a gaping hole through its body. A second punch came, and then a third, until the entire torso of the scorpion mech was decimated into a flaming pile of melted scrap.

"Flamvelle Punch is one of my favorite limit breaks - you should feel honored." The brunette stated, turning her back on the defeated machine.

When she reached the end of the runway with no Genesis in sight, she felt her heart sink a little. Autumn had been hoping that maybe, just maybe, she'd get to see the fiery renegade again and try to talk some sense into him.

Glancing down, she spotted two copies. She tried not to think about their oncoming deaths or how her hands - already crackling with lightning - were shaking.

The air filled with the scent of magic and her own trepidation. Autumn's breathing grew labored, her heart pacing faster. Why? Why couldn't she do it?

_"Just close your eyes, just close your eyes...that should make you able to do it. Just...do it!"_

She'd already knocked out some clones, so that should be enough for an interrogation. She didn't need to spare all of them. Plus, if they got away they'd inform Genesis that Shinra apprehended Hollander, which would lead to another attack on HQ. Not that the former 1st wouldn't figure it out on his own, but...it gave them more time to figure out what to do with him.

So, the 1st closed her eyes and shot out the lightning. She heard their strangled screams, a cease of flapping, and then...nothing.

She'd finally succeeded in close-range kills, so...why did she feel so disgusted with herself?

"Mission success. I'm sure Tseng will be more than pleased." A velvety baritone voice rumbled from behind her.

Autumn jumped, snapping her eyes open to see a smiling Sephiroth standing before her.

"Sephy? It's been a while...you're a sight for sore eyes!" She grinned, despite her heart still hammering away from surprise.

"Let the Turks take care of the rest. I was on my way to Modeoheim, but I heard you and Zack were in the area." The silver-haired General explained, walking past her to gaze at the sunset.

"Lucky me." Autumn replied sardonically, though there were the beginnings of a smile on her masked lips.

The brunette turned to join him, her eyes remaining fixed on the bars of gold in the sky and the setting sun halfway down the horizon.

"The situation has not resolved. Genesis copies have been sighted around the world."

Autumn looked at him for a moment, shock overwhelming her senses. "That...that's impossible."

Sephiroth turned to face her with a quirked silver brow. "Did Genesis really die?"

Her mouth shut closed, her sapphire eyes flitting to the ground. They both knew the truth; that Genesis staged it. She was slightly confused when Sephiroth turned away from her, only to see that 1st Class Fair had - for reasons unknown - joined the party.

"Uh..." he uttered, not really knowing what to say.

"They've been sighted in Midgar as well." The silver-haired General stated.

"Oh Shiva..." Autumn sighed, hearing Zack mutter something.

"The slums, too."

Oh.

OOOOHHH. AERITH! Crap, why didn't she think of it before?!

"I see." The brunette murmured, panic causing her stomach to clench.

It did not go past her that Sephiroth also sent a sly look to Zack, who finally caught on.

"Permission to return...granted." he edged a smile, amused at their reactions.

"Uh, yeah..." Zack answered, walking up to him.

"Take care." Sephiroth told him a bit dismissively.

Autumn wasn't sure what to do. It was obvious she needed to talk to Sephy in private; he seemed a bit preoccupied. But her sister had always, _will_ always, be her first priority.

Curse her secretly caring heart.

"You, too," the ravenette responded, a tad bemused by the General's friendly approach, starting to walk away only for his curiosity to bring him back. "Hey, what's-"

"What's happening in Modeoheim?" Autumn questioned, beating him to the punch.

Sephiroth craned his long neck to lock eyes with them. "The device Hollander was using has been stolen."

"Genesis?" Zack guessed.

"Probably."

"Excuse me, I have a phone call to make." Autumn interposed, walking away out of earshot and dialing Elmyra's house number.

_"Hello? Autumn, is this you?"_

"Hey Mom, yeah it's me. Listen, you know how there were those weird, mutated copies roaming about? They're back, and they're all over the world - the slums included. Where's Aerith?"

_"Oh by the Goddess...Aerith is in her room right now; she decided to come back from the church early."_

The 1st let out an audible sigh of relief. "Thank Gaia. Can I please speak to her?"

_"Of course, sweetie. But, Autumn...will we be targeted? You said that you knew this Genesis that's in charge of the copies. Tell me: are we in any danger? Is Aerith in any danger? Tell me the truth, young lady."_

"No. Even in his deranged state, Genesis wouldn't ever think of going after family. And he doesn't even know that you _are_ my family, so...I just need you two to be careful and keep an eye open, alright? Love you, Mom."

_"I love you too, dear. I'll make sure to be wary on my way to work. I'll get Aerith on the line for you."_

A few minutes passed before she heard a rush of air and her sister's sweet voice. _"Sis? It isn't every day that you call first, what's going on?"_

"Listen, I need you to be extra, extra, EXTRA careful, okay? Genesis's copies are back and they've infested the world - slums, too. Keep an eye out and take something for protection. Do you still have that extendable staff I gave you a couple years back?"

_"Yeah, but I haven't really practiced with it in years. I'm...I'm not really that violent, you know that."_

Autumn took a few seconds to calm her rising temper. "I know, but I still need you to take it with you for protection's sake. I can't be there for you all the time, and neither can Fair. If it comes down to it, I'd rather you run to whatever Turk is shadowing you than to try and face a copy alone. Do you understand, Aerith?"

_"...yes. I understand. But I still don't like it, and I'm still going to the church like I always do."_

"Of course you are, because like me, you can never be convinced otherwise. I really curse that shared trait sometimes, by the way. Anyways, I've gotta go. Love you Aer - be _careful_, okay?"

_"Alright. I promise, I'll be careful. But you do the same. Love you Sis."_

Once he was gone, the brunette turned to Sephiroth. "You don't look okay."

A smirk quirked up the corner of his lips. "Getting right to the point as always, I see. I am fine, Autumn. Don't worry about me - worry about your sister."

She chewed her lower lip behind her mask. "I know, but...Gaia, I can't help but worry about you Sephy. I have a feeling that there's more to your trip to Modeoheim than what you told me, and I just...I'm hoping that you're not coping as horribly as me."

"I can assure you that I am coping as well as expected of me."

Autumn glared at him. "That's the _problem_! You keep up appearances because of the standards and expectations people have of you. Have you cried yet, Sephy? Have you had a good, long cry just because that pit in your stomach and the waves of sadness are too much? You haven't, have you? You don't always have to be this strong, unyielding pillar of strength, you know. At least around me, you can just be Sephy: the super-but-still-human-being that can still cry because he has feelings just like the rest of us. If you don't cry around me, then at least cry when you're alone."

The silver-haired Masamune-wielder sighed. "Why do you insist on having me shed tears?"

"Because you'll feel a lot lighter afterwards, and then tomorrow will be easier to face. If _you_ insist on not crying on _my _shoulder, then find _someone_. Someone trustworthy." she retorted, attacking the towering General with a fierce hug.

Hesitantly, he wrapped his long arms around her, pressing the side of her face into his chest in the process. "I appreciate your efforts and your concern. I will..."cry on someone's shoulder", as you put it, when I have the time. Thank you, Autumn."

She smiled into his chest, inhaling his scent of cologne and leather. It took everything she had to pull out of the hug. Sephiroth was her closest friend aside from Cloud and gave the best, comforting hugs. Aside from Cloud, that is.

"Take care, Sephy. I mean it: just because you're the General doesn't mean you're totally invincible." Autumn threw him another concerned glare, followed by a warm smile.

He smiled back, a certain light entering his cyan orbs. "You as well, Autumn. I will do my best."

The brunette turned away, sprinting off while dialing Tseng's number to yell at him to pick her up. She had a sister to protect, and she'd be damned if Fair took that away from her.

* * *

**A/N: Phew, done! I honestly don't know what'll happen from here on out - maybe I'll have Hollander get taken by Genesis copies on the chopper en route to Midgar or something. It's just Autumn isn't the kind of person to let someone like Hollander escape, so...yeah, had to happen. Review, favorite and follow! They're my inspiration candy.**


	10. Home

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 10: Home**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII CC in any way, shape or form. BUT I do have the game for my PSP and cried TWICE for both times I finished the game at Zack's death scene. I haven't had the heart to complete it again since.**

_"The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." _-Maya Angelou, _All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes_

* * *

**Autumn's POV**

So, as it turns out, once we finally touched down at HQ and I sprinted down to call a cab, anxiously ride the train to the slums, and call another cab to get to Sector 5 to check up on my two remaining family members, I had nothing to worry about.

No Genesis copies attacked them at random, plus the house was sort of isolated from the rest of the run-down apartments, shabby houses and rather shady establishments.

I'd mastered my Blizzaga materia a while back and still had the new one it produced, so with that in mind I rang the door bell and knocked three times.

My mother swung the door open, her aged blue eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, Autumn! I told you we're fine, Aerith hasn't-"

"That's not why I'm here, Mom. I just wanted to drop by and maybe have something to eat?" I interposed, inwardly grimacing at how tired I sounded.

I saw the slap coming, so I ducked and ventured further into the house. "Mom! What're you-"

"It's rude to interrupt! I thought I taught you better than that." She chided, closing the door behind her as she followed me into the kitchen.

Darn. Apparently I'd exhausted the "I-hardly-ever-visit" excuse and mom's rage mode had returned.

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am."

"That had better not be sarcastic young lady."

"I swear it's not!" I defended, pouting as I continued towards the kitchen.

"And change your clothes at some point. Do I even want to know why half of your pants are nearly burned off?"

"No, not really. Did you have a bad day or something?" I answered with a grin, waltzing on into the cooking area.

Mom sighed behind me. "You could say that. In fact, it's more of an understatement. But, I won't get into the details with you. And even though I've had an unpleasant day, you also cannot just go disregarding all of the manners your master and I have worked into that thick head of yours."

"Yes, ma'am."

My focus waned to the kitchen. I'd been drawn in by the savory, mouth-watering smells that had hit my nose all at once. My glowing eyes roved over the cooking steaks, feeling saliva gather in my mouth as my stomach squealed in delight.

"Oooohhh, steaakkk~" I murmured in a sing-songy voice.

Mom chuckled, taking over at the stove while I washed the veggies. "You and Aerith are such little carnivores."

"Yup." I agreed, deciding to omit the fact that we both got it from my biological mom.

I heard the pattering of light feet coming down the stairs, signaling that Aerith had finally arrived.

"Sorry I'm a little late getting down here to help, Mom, I-"

Her startled emerald orbs landed on me, a smile spreading across her face just as quickly. "Sis! I wasn't expecting you!"

She threw her arms around me in a tight hug as I reciprocated it, my own grin beginning to fade a little when Zachary's kiss popped back into my mind. Should I tell her? What would even be the point aside from hurting her? It wasn't as if Zachary's lingering bits of feelings for me were going to lead to anything more.

"Yeah, I decided to drop by in order to ease my conscience. I just keep worrying about you and Mom. Speaking of which, these are for you. I know you have that rod I gave you, but I think you should have a little more to your arsenal. I'll help you train with them, don't worry." I grinned, handing her my new Curaga, an old Restore I stopped using and my new Blizzaga.

She stared at the three orbs of materia in surprise, accepting them into her waiting palms. "Wow...do I...do I really get to keep these?"

Nodding, I guided her into the kitchen where we grabbed plates, eating increments, and glasses to set the table. "Yu_p_. They're yours now. I'll be stopping by a few days a week to help you with it; don't exactly want you accidentally encasing the house in ice or something."

After we finished setting the table she gazed at me uncertainly. "Thanks, but...are you sure I'll even have to use them?"

"At some point? Yes. Whether it's to defend yourself against creepy humans or violent monsters, I'm sure the time will come when you'll need to use them. Don't worry, it's only a safety measure. I want you to have as much at your disposal as possible so I'm not tossing and turning in bed at night, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. It lasted for a second, until her emerald eyes flickered down to my pants. "Do I want to know why half of your pants are burned off?"

"No, no you do not. It's been a long day anyway," I replied with a tired smile. "I'll grab a pair of sweats from my room. I'm surprised I was even able to stock up on clothing here to be completely honest. Hmm...maybe I can come by more often if I wear, like, a wig and contacts."

Aerith grew a playful grin, her eyes looking me up and down. "Hmm...maybe. Just don't be a blonde. The Turks will never fall for that. Plus you'd look _terrible_."

I rolled my eyes, slowly walking past her only to speedily poke her in the sides, making her squeal. "Thanks Miss Supportive! Geez, you've gotten really cheeky."

She batted my hands away, laughing with me as she got me back. "And you've gotten really bad with comebacks!"

"Whaat? My comebacks are legit!"

"You-"

"-Okay, the steaks and mac 'n cheese are ready! Autumn, why don't you go grab the salads you prepared?" Mom requested, setting down heavy platters of the roasted meat and oozing, cheesy goodness.

"Sure! Want me to grab the water, too?"

"Yes, thank you sweetheart."

Waltzing back into the kitchen, I grabbed the salads and the pitcher of water, finding it weird that I hadn't been interrupted by any phone calls yet. Oh well, might as well enjoy it while I can.

Once we were all settled, each of us clasped our hands together in prayer.

"Autumn, honey, why don't you say Grace for once? It's not often we have you over for dinner." Mom suggested, confirming it with Aerith, who also urged me to do it.

"Alright, but uh, it's been a while since I've said the official one, so I'm a little rusty..." I admitted a little bashfully. "Ahem...O' Goddess of the Lifestream, thank you for all You have provided for us, both physically and spiritually...uh, what came next?"

"Bless us." Aerith whispered, an amused smile on her pretty face.

"Oh, right. Bless us and this bounty we are about to receive. Amen."

"Amen." Mom and Aerith repeated, opening their eyes and unclasping their hands.

Then Mom started dishing out the steak and mac 'n cheese while my sister and I munched on our salads, chattering away and giggling as if we weren't being hunted or that we were the last two of our kind on the face of the Planet.

"Sooo...have you found your crush from Nibelheim?" Aerith teasingly asked, propping her chin onto her upturned palms.

I tried not to blush, but I still felt the heat flooding into my cheeks. "Err...can we not talk about this now?"

She pouted. "Why not? I've been dying to know about it for weeks!"

Mom quirked a brow. "Oh, really? You two have discussed this before?"

I smiled nervously. "Eheh...maybe? I mean, it's not like I plan to date him or anything. I've got too much going on and-"

"-So you _have _found him?"

"...uhhh..."

My sister gasped. "You have!" Grinning excitedly, she continued to question me. "How did it go? Have either of you confessed yet? Are you two together? Have you kissed?"

"Goddess, Aerith...it wasn't like I found him by his lonesome; it was on a mission so it wasn't exactly the most romantic of situations. No. No. Aaannnd definitely not. I think I'd tell you if that happened. As in, 'what the heck do I do now?'" I snorted, finishing off my salad and downing some of my water.

"How close do you think the two of you are, exactly?" Mom questioned, eyeing me with suspicion.

I fidgeted, stuffing my face with steak. "Uh...I mean, we grew up together. And now I've been training him whenever I get the chance, so...I guess we're pretty close. He, um...he saved my life, too."

I made sure to add that part on purpose for obvious reasons.

Mom stared at me in surprise as Aerith's grip on her fork tightened. "Did he?"

"Yeah, he...blasted open the doors, cast Cure on me and carried me all the way to the chopper. Apparently he was there at my side the entire time, and was the first to arrive when I was finally allowed to have visitors. Our mutual friends in the infantry spilled everything to me." I smiled faintly, recalling how I always held his hand throughout his visits, as if I feared he was going to disappear.

I didn't want to let go, not then, and not now. Which was a problem, because that was how I had to protect him once I abandoned Shinra. Everyone else except Sephiroth was easy - Sarrel, Tyler and Jason called and texted constantly, but the infantry kept them too busy to persist further, Kunsel and Luxiere were some of the few talented higher class SOLDIERs left, and Zachary was an idiot that made it far too effortless to distance myself from him.

But Cloud was different. Whenever I believed I finally had the conviction to push him away, he called my PHS and I couldn't help but answer, if not to just hear his smooth tenor voice that deepened since we parted ways in Nibelheim. I enjoyed our training sessions as well as the time we spent together afterward. With him, I was just me. No pretense, no masks. I was just plain old Autumn Gainsborough.

"..." Mom was silent, her light blue eyes intensely gazing at me in contemplation.

For some reason, I wasn't the only one holding my breath. When I glanced at Aerith, she was just as nervous and anxious as I felt inside. Oh Shiva, why was this so nerve-wracking?!

"This young man needs to come over so I can properly thank him for saving my daughter's life, and for obviously caring for her so deeply." She smiled, tucking away a few graying brown strands of hair that fell free of her bun.

I released a long breath, grinning at her gratefully. "Yeah, sure. I'll bring him when it's safe and neither of us are working."

Aerith winked at me, her pink lips stretching across her face. It was then I realized just how much I missed them, every second of every day. It felt as if nothing else existed when I sat here, laughing with my mom and sister.

_This_. This was what I fought for. For a chance to always be able to sit here, laughing with my family without fearing the consequences.

I wasn't sure where Cloud fit into this beautiful picture, but I just knew that now it wouldn't be complete without him or Sephiroth. Zachary was a confusing little extra piece that I had no idea what to do with, but for now I'll just focus on my crush-turned-something-else and silver-haired friend.

A shadow left as quickly as it came across the window, with the faintest glimpse of spiky raven hair.

_"Seems like there's a lost puppy outside." _I mused, too distracted by the excited exclamations from Aerith and the intrigued questions from Mom to really think about it.

Right now, I was going to let myself be happy for once. Not guilty over people I killed or failed to save, not stressed about leaving, not worried about who to keep by my side or to push away.

All that mattered in this moment was the laughter bubbling from my throat and the warmth radiating in my soul. I was home.

I felt so loved and happy I wanted to cry.

* * *

**Sephiroth**

He had promised Autumn to talk to someone about his...issues, but alas he had no idea who to turn to. Definitely not a Shinra doctor or scientist. He'd rather stab himself with the Masamune than resort to such a drastic measure.

Autumn was busy with her family that she so rightly deserved to visit, Zack was off doing Zack things, and in all honesty they were the only people Sephiroth was truly close to. Since the discovery of his inhuman prowess, the public placed him on a pedestal so high most were too intimidated to approach him, including those who put him there.

So he wasn't surprised when he found himself meandering to the train station in Sector 1 after taking the liberties of wearing a disguise this time (which was really just ditching his trench coat for a shorter leather jacket and hiding his hair in a cap) to head down to the Sector 6 slums.

Due to his uncanny memory, the General recalled the route he took to a particular house he had only visited once: the residence of Lorie and Daniel Frost.

He'd had a good cry by himself, much to his embarrassment, but since Autumn had told him that no one goes without letting a few things off their chest to a listening ear, here he was. That, and she threatened to both approach his fan club regarding the still trending ship name and ban him from ever seeing Buster again. He wished to avoid that headache and never seeing the young dog Sephiroth had taken a shining to.

Sephiroth brought a curled fist up to the wooden door to knock, then hesitated. Was she even home? It was the weekend, but considering how many jobs she worked and the need to support her family, she might have opted to working on the weekends as well.

He chuckled a little under his breath, feeling absolutely ridiculous.

"This is absurd."

But was it, really? Admittedly, this wasn't the best time for a visit, especially to just show up out of the blue and request for Lorie to act as his personal grief counselor or therapist. However, she did tell him to stop by anytime, so here he was. She was nice and kind enough to approach, plus she'd gone through similar circumstances.

So, he finally managed to knock on the door. When he heard footsteps, he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. They were too clumsy and loud to be Lorie's. They sounded more like Daniel's.

"Who goes there?" He demanded in an amusingly scratchy voice.

"A friend seeking advice." Sephiroth answered, smiling when the door swung open to reveal an excited Daniel.

He saluted, trying to look like a loyal soldier in his tiny body. "Hello, General Sephiroth, sir! What brings you here, sir?"

"At ease. Just Sephiroth will be fine, Daniel. Is Lorie available?" The silver-haired General asked, glancing past the boy into the quaint little house.

"No, she hasn't gotten off her shift at the diner yet. But she'll be back any minute! Wanna come in and wait for her?"

"That is a kind offer, Daniel, but I do not wish to intrude."

"Danny? Who's at the door, sweetie?" An older, weak voice queried.

The child turned away from the silver-haired general to answer her. "Oh, you won't believe it Gran! It's General Sephiroth!"

"What? Are you sure it's not just your imagination again? Why in the world would the famous General wanna visit? What did you do?"

Danny pouted, pulling the door open wider to, with great hope, welcome Sephiroth in. "I didn't do anything! I swear! The General saved Lorie and me!"

"It's 'Lorie and _I_', child. At least use proper grammar! Oh Goddess, don't tell me he's still standing out there?! Danny, let him in for Shiva's sake! It's getting cold outside!"

The boy stumbled, fumbling with the knob as he ushered the towering man in and locking it behind him while grumbling a response. "Right, right...Sorry Gran..."

Now that the silver-haired man had no choice but to wait for Lorie, he decided to ignore his antisocial tendencies and introduce himself to the sickly grandmother he'd been told about.

"Pardon the intrusion, ma'am. I did not intend to disrupt your evening. I needed to speak with Lorie about a...personal matter, but since she is unavailable I will come by another time." He said politely, reaching the old woman's room.

The door was wide open, but he didn't dare let himself in. So instead, Sephiroth glanced into a room with white walls plastered with painted decorations, a carpeted floor, practical furniture, and the woman herself lying in bed.

Grandma Frost looked healthier than the image he'd pieced together in his mind. Though her complexion was paler than normal, it was not excessively sickly-looking. Her eyes had taken on a dull shine, though. It revealed her tiredness, both physically and emotionally, and her immense pain from her illnesses.

She smiled excitedly at the General, beckoning him in with a hand. "Oh, don't be so shy! Goodness, I never would've guessed that the one and only hero General Sephiroth would pop up at my door, asking for my only granddaughter! Oh my, you're even more handsome in person!"

He smiled awkwardly, as if he didn't agree with her gushing compliments and insinuations, though he dipped his head in her direction regardless. "I...appreciate your flattery, ma'am."

Grandma Frost briefly looked at Danny, who was gazing into her bedroom with his eyes locked onto the General with hopefulness. "Danny, why don't you go into your room and work on your homework?"

He groaned, retreating from the doorway. "Fiinnee. Sorry General Sephiroth sir, I have to go work now. It's been awesome having you here!"

His gran looked at him with a warning glare. He straightened his posture, saluting the General and the old lady.

"Sorry, I mean, it's been a pleasure having your company in our home, sir!...Is that better, Gran?" Danny asked, subtly rolling his eyes in exasperation.

Granny Frost smiled, chuckling a little. Her laughter was throaty and gravelly, accentuating her age. "Yes, good enough."

He grinned back and practically skipped off to his room when Sephiroth saluted back with a small smile of his own.

_"So the boy-Daniel goes to school, yet Miss Lorie does not? She probably sacrifices her own education for work in order to pay for his schooling." _Sephiroth mused, finding himself admiring the girl's selflessness.

It reminded him of Angeal.

The old woman's gaze returned to Sephiroth, quirking a brow in amusement. "'Ma'am', huh? That's very proper, young man, but I'd much rather prefer Gran, if you don't mind. Or at least Gran Frost. 'Ma'am' is much too official for me."

She took a moment to cough, sounding like she was hacking up a lung. Once it stopped, her arm that had risen to cover her mouth in the crook of her elbow quivered, the energy in it already fading.

Gran Frost sighed, dropping her limp arm back onto her bed. "I hate this situation I'm in, always resting and feeling sick. I wasn't always this way, y'know. Back in my day, I was so tough no one dared mess with me. I was Queen of the Slums back then. And in case you were wondering, yes, there were slums back then even before Shinra came to power as a monopoly. I actually knew the President's father; Benedict Shinra. Ah, that man could sweep you off your feet before you could process what was happening, he was that charming."

"Is that so? I was unaware the President's father and you were acquaintances."

"Oh yes. He said he wanted contacts spread out everywhere to make it easier to connect to all of the people, even down here in the slums. He was a very considerate gentleman, I'll admit that. But once his company took off and kept growing in power, corruption started to sprout in his employees; even his own son. Fortunately, Rufus was able to spend some time with him before he passed, so he isn't completely like his pig of a father." Gran Frost spat, her pale brown eyes flaming with spite.

"Pardon?" Sephiroth frowned, uncomfortable with hearing such insults directed towards his boss.

"Hm, seems I got a bit off-track. Where was I? Oh, right! Queen of the Slums, heheh. Well, 'till I fell in love, that is," she chuckled, glancing at a picture on her bedside table. "I decided, once I got pregnant with Lorie and Danny's father, I'd quit the life. And look at me now; got grandkids protected by my reputation without me really doing anything. 'Course, being bedridden most of the day now isn't all what it's cracked up to be. But I still have my thick list of contacts."

Sephiroth pursed his lips, frowning at her pride while her only granddaughter had indeed not been protected, considering she'd been kidnapped and assaulted by Corneo's men.

"Evidently your contacts are not as reliable as you might believe, Ms-"

"-_Gran_, young man."

The silver-haired general dipped his head humbly. "Apologies. Gran Frost. Your daughter was assaulted by some dangerous men working for Don Corneo about a week or so ago. And, from what they mentioned before I intervened, she had been apprehended by them previously."

Her face contorted from sickly and kind to purely enraged. "Pardon? Are you saying my only granddaughter got kidnapped by some...some street rat _thugs?! _And for that perverted mobster no less!? Where the hell was Cass?"

Sephiroth was sure that he did not want to know who Cass even was, but clearly he or she was not doing their job properly. And, judging by the killer intent rolling off of Gran Frost in waves, he/she was not going to make that mistake again if he/she somehow managed to live another day.

At that precise moment, however, the door swung open to reveal an exhausted Lorie, unwrapping the scarf around her neck and pulling off her mittens. "Ah, it's getting cold again. Danny? Gran? I'm home!"

The silver-haired General patiently waited until the dirty-blonde poked her head into her grandmother's room. Her honey brown eyes widened in shock with her jaw hanging open. He wasn't sure if her cheeks were flushed red from the cold, or from him.

"G-G-General Sephiroth! U-umm...what a surprise!" she stuttered, evidently caught off-guard, "Uh, what brings you back here? I mean, not to say you're unwanted here, that is, I just...I mean..."

"I understand what you are attempting to imply. Apologies for the unexpected visit, I do not have a means of contacting you otherwise and I need to speak with you privately." The Masamune-wielder replied gently, resisting the urge to squirm under Gran Frost's intense stare.

"R-right! Um-"

"-_Young lady_!" Gran Frost abruptly snapped, causing Lorie to jump to attention.

"Y-yes, Gran...?"

The old woman then realized that their guest was standing awkwardly to the side, forgotten. She huffed, easing back into her bed. "We'll talk later about some...incidents that you got into. But, we do have a guest that came all the way down here just to see you. Give me a hug, sweetie."

Lorie complied, slipping a cup of something warm into her hands. "Here's your favorite tea, Gran. I managed to make you a cup before I left my shift at the cafe."

"Oh, thank you. I've been wanting something warm to drink. Alright, we'll talk more later. The General has been kept waiting long enough."

The blonde nodded, turning to nervously smile at the towering silver-haired man. "O-okay. Um, do you mind if we take this conversation to the living room?"

"Of course not. After you." Sephiroth politely gestured towards the door, stepping aside for her to exit.

"T-thank you." She stuttered, her embarrassment affecting her tongue again.

Once they were all settled and seated, Lorie put on a brave face and turned to Sephiroth, who looked just as awkward and nervous as she did.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

His glowing, catlike cyan eyes locked on her honey brown pair. Her eyes were still so warm despite the chilling temperatures, it soothed his worries and doubts about going through with this.

"A friend made me promise to speak to someone of my hardships. I have designated you to be that person, if you do not mind."

Lorie flushed, tucking her hair behind her right ear. "O-oh, well...I am certainly flattered. Yes - I mean, no - I don't mind. Not at all."

She smiled, handing him an extra cup he noticed she'd been holding for a while. "It's decaf green tea. I was saving it for myself, but I think you need it more right now than I do. Besides, I can always brew some here. So...what did you want to talk about?"

"Thank you for the tea. Where do I begin...I suppose I shall start with when I caused Genesis' accident in the training rooms..."

He was very awkward at first, pausing at times to find the right words to say, but Lorie simply sat across from him with her hands folded on her lap, smiling in understanding. After some time though, he found it was becoming easier to open up about everything. He talked for hours, covering every inch of what was bothering him about Angeal and Genesis. And Lorie just sat there patiently for a long time, though she did get up to make a little snack for the two of them, staring at him with her warm honey eyes and open ears.

Sephiroth stayed for dinner. At some point during the course of the meal with the laughter and warmth from the Frost family, he realized he was experiencing what a true family was like. And he found that he enjoyed it very much.

* * *

**Location: ?**

_"It's time, my son. Make her hatred grow, and then bring her to me."_

_"Understood, Mother."_

Chartreuse eyes gleamed in the darkness, piercing through the opaque veil of night. Feet silently pounded against hardened, parched soil at an inhuman speed, leaping up ledges and boulders onto cliff-sides.

A midnight-black 'copter came into view, its blades chopping at the air and filling the area with the loud buzz of its propellers. A gloved hand glowed brightly with a bright orange-ish red power, charging up until the chopper came closer. Then, the hand shot out to hit the chopper with a volley of fireballs.

The person responsible leapt up, invading the chopper and quickly slaying the SOLDIERs inside with swift movements from his twin blades. The same blades broke a pair of handcuffs chaining up a certain insane scientist.

"Wh-who are you? Why are you helping me?" The deep, gruff voice of Hollander questioned, his light brown orbs full of fear.

What a disgusting, pathetic creature. But as long as he helped Mother's plans progress further, he wasn't going to complain. As long as it bothered and angered Sister, he would gladly do it again.

A smile spread across his masked face. Everything was going just as planned.

* * *

**A/N: Annnd there! Done! Sorry for the REALLY LONG WAIT! Between life and writer's block, I've been trying super hard to finally finish this chapter and get it out there! Ugh. Anyways, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! As always, please review, favorite and follow!**


	11. Expectations & Realizations

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 11-Expectations &amp; Realizations**

**Disclaimer: I sadly still do not own FFVII CC. BUT I am totally psyched for the new remake!**

_"People aren't always what you want them to be...And sometimes, when you give them a chance, they turn out to be better than you imagined. Different, but better." -Chloe Rattray, _Sacré Noir

Keep Calm: Uh, so, this is a VERY LATE and LONG chapter, sorry for the super long wait!

Autumn: Keep Calm's been pretty busy. Life and writer's block has prevented them from updating.

Zack: And I'm still hated by pretty much everyone ):

Keep Calm: Oh stop whining, you did it to yourself, at least with Autumn.

Autumn: Yeah! No one steals my first kiss reserved for Cl-er, I mean...c-clearly someone else and gets away with it!

Zack: Wait, were you about to sa-

Keep Calm: Aaand here's the next chapter! Again, apologies to my dearly beloved loyal reviewers/followers/viewers for this long awaited chapter! I hope it's good! Also, fan art is strongly loved and encouraged, so don't be afraid to share it with me! Who knows, it might be the cover art for this fic and the next one! Enjoy, and as always: favorite, follow, and review!

* * *

**Autumn**

**Location: Shinra HQ**

"WHAT?!"

Anyone innocently strolling into the hall of the SOLDIER floor at that particular moment stiffened up and spun on their heels to walk away as quickly as possible to avoid a certain brunette's wrath.

"What do you mean, 'he's gone'?!"

The pink-haired Sergeant stared back unflinchingly with cold, aqua-blue eyes. "I mean exactly what I just said: Hollander is missing. His ride was intercepted. All we found were the remaining pieces of the chopper and the deceased pilot. We have reason to believe it might have been one of Genesis's copies that was responsible for the attack."

Autumn strutted away from Sergeant Farron, trying to calm down in order to reply with a clear head. She placed her hands on a nearby table, beginning to crack it with her superhuman strength.

A whiff of overnight cleaning and weapons entered her nose when she took a deep breath, the familiarity helping to sooth her fraying nerves. Sunrise was almost over, with warm golden rays filtering in from the nearby window to hit her profile. It furthered her moment of calm amidst all of the insanity slowly unraveling.

This couldn't be happening, not now. She wasn't even sure why Sergeant Farron was reporting the situation to her instead of another SOLDIER; not that there were many left thanks to Genesis. Were they really _that_ afraid of her?

Ugh. This was all happening far too early in the day for her to clearly process this! She'd literally just walked into HQ when she was confronted by the pink-haired soldier. Now her day was definitely ruined in terms of mood, and it was clear what her priorities for the day were going to be. So much for training with Cloud.

The brunette realized she needed to respond soon, or else risk invoking Farron's sass. She'd always felt a little inferior to the Sergeant, since despite being in the infantry division she was a rather well-known soldier, and a very good one at that.

She could hold her own against SOLDIERs - even 1st Classes - without breaking a sweat (except for 1sts). And she was her senior by about seven years, which didn't help. Autumn looked up to Farron, but more than anything wanted to rise above her.

"Okay, did you survey the area? Look for any hints as to any possibilities it was someone else? And are you sure you didn't find anything else in the wreckage?"

Sergeant Farron resisted rolling her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. "Yes, of course we did. We were there for hours. But all we found were some footprints not registered in the system, and evidence it was a Firaga spell that shot down the chopper. Whoever it was made sure not to leave anything behind. The wreckage didn't provide any answers, either."

Autumn sighed, facing the pink-haired Sergeant as her glowing sapphire eyes clashed with cold aqua. She ran a hand through her segmented bangs, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, if we really think about it it's pretty obvious who did it: Genesis. He's been wanting Hollander the most and he's hell-bent on getting him."

"Agreed." Farron nodded, her jaw clenched and eyes hardened.

The 1st looked down, her curled hand coming up to grip her chin in contemplation. Lightning frowned, puzzled by her thoughtful expression. "What is it, sir?"

"I just realized it couldn't have been one of Genesis's copies that acquired Hollander."

The pink-haired Sergeant's aqua eyes narrowed in confusion. "What? How?"

"Because as you said, the footprints aren't registered in the system. If it was one of Genesis's copies, it would've come up as at least similar to Genesis, especially after we've categorized so many of his copies. But I'm guessing that even going to the labs, getting the footprints compared, and running through simulations didn't provide any successful results." Autumn replied, her eyebrows knitting together in deep concentration.

Lightning shifted uncomfortably. "Well, when they were sent to the labs early this morning, they didn't seem to match any known footprints, but...a file did pop up reading "CONFIDENTIAL", and several others that said "FILE REDACTED". When I attempted to request the file labeled "CONFIDENTIAL", I was told it was above my pay grade. It's possible that whoever took Hollander is somehow linked to Shinra after all."

The brunette quirked a brow. "So Genesis has a middleman of sorts, now. He can't be a ghost, so I'll do what I can to get my hands on that "CONFIDENTIAL" file. Out of curiosity...why exactly are you the one reporting to me, Sergeant Farron? Shouldn't another SOLDIER be doing that job? And is there something you want to say?"

Sergeant Farron rounded on her. "My people were on a mission when they saw the smoke, so I do believe that leaves me to report to the superiors. And I just think maybe if SOLDIER was more mindful of who entered their program, then we wouldn't be caught in this predicament right now."

Her sharp tone caused Autumn to bristle. "Right, _sorry _we're human. It's not like any of us were unaware that Genesis had been experimented on before he was even born by yet another mad scientist from the Science Department. It's not like he was fine before he had that accident-"

It was Lighting's turn to raise a brow. "Accident? What accident?"

Autumn quickly shut her mouth, realizing she just slipped out some top secret information. "Nothing. It's classified."

Farron's eyes lit with a raging fire. "Are you seriously telling me that this all started because of a damn _accident_? That this all could have been avoided if you SOLDIERs hadn't been messing around?!"

She scoffed, uncrossing her arms and edging closer to the 1st. "You think you're so high and mighty, so above everyone else because of your enhancements. Well, look where that got us. All of us. We're engaged in a war against a deranged, renegade 1st Class on a desperate quest to cure his degradation. Why? Because SOLDIER couldn't keep their 1st Classes under control! Why am I not surprised?"

Autumn's eyes turned as cold as ice. Her tone dropped dangerously low, letting Lightning know she was entering uncharted waters. "Listen up, Sergeant Claire "Lightning" Farron. I know you aren't the biggest SOLDIER fan, and I know you think we're a bunch of arrogant assholes. But that does not give you the right to jump to conclusions and blow up at a superior.

"And yes, I am well-aware that we screwed up, but to be fair Genesis and...friends, were very sneaky about it when the accident happened. They had no idea it'd become so serious. I am also well-aware I am above you in terms of ranking, so I'd choose my next words very carefully if I were you."

She watched the Sergeant twitch when she spoke her full name, her aquamarine eyes sparking with a deadly fire raging with loathing and anger. Lightning glared at her, forced to look down a bit given their height difference even with Autumn's 3-inch heeled combat boots.

"Of course, _1st Class_. Though considering the poor judgment spreading in the SOLDIER program, one has to wonder how much merit your words hold." She icily shot back, and the two engaged in an intense stare-down while the air crackled with tension.

If no one intervened soon, one of them would start something, and then it'd be up to only Sephiroth to put an end to it. Everyone knew pitting the two Ice Queens in Shinra HQ against each other would end in disaster. Just as Autumn was renowned as the Ice Queen of SOLDIER, Lightning was the Ice Queen of the infantry division, even though they used fairly different wording to differentiate between them.

Of course, everyone that neared the scene quickly turned back because no one wanted to deal with their wrath at 7 AM in the morning, so it looked like a show-down was about to happen until...

"Heya guys! Oh crap, it's Farron!" A cheery, deep voice called out to the two _very_ angry, tense females.

They whipped around to see a suddenly fidgety Zack, who realized it was too late to turn back like everyone else. Once Lightning's eyes locked onto him, he knew there was no escaping her.

"Fair. It's been a while." She greeted coldly.

Zack forced a nervous grin, scratching the back of his head. He felt the chill in the air hit him full force. "Y-yup, quite a while. Uh-huh. Uhhh...so, how's life as a Sergeant?"

She crossed her arms, deliberately ignoring the female 1st beside her. "Busy. As you should be. I thought I trained you better than this."

Autumn rolled her eyes. Of _course_ Farron had been Zack's CO; why wouldn't she be? Since apparently Gaia just loved throwing all of these seemingly impossible coincidences at her face.

He shook his head vigorously. "Right. Of course! Yup! I was uh, um, just about to take up some missions! I'll go and do that now. Take the missions, I mean."

"Yes. You expressed that _very__ clearly_. Now go do your job without screwing anything up or dragging me into it. _Again_. I will _not_ cover your ass this time, Fair. Not after the stunt you pulled breaking Genesis's newly acquired Tri-Firaga last year."

The ravenette saluted her curtly. "No prob! I won't, promise! Okay, maybe that's kind of a big promise, but I promise anyways because it's you. I mean that in the most platonic way ever, I swear...that sounded a lot better in my head. Uh, Zack Fair, out! Later!"

And with that, the Puppy scampered out of the room faster than a 1st Class on Haste and a Hyper all at once.

_'The day those two become _friends_ is the day the world ends!' _he thought fearfully, shivering at the very thought of the two dangerous Ice Queens in Shinra befriending one another.

Lightning turned back to Autumn, who surprised her by giggling a little. "Something amusing you, Sir?"

The brunette paused in her snickering. "Genesis's Tri-Firaga? Oh man, no wonder he was so peeved. How stupid is he to go and do that after all the times I told him of Genesis's legendary temper and setting things on fire?"

"This is Zack Fair we're talking about. No matter how many warnings and facts you throw at him, he'll just let them filter out the other ear and continue what he's doing, even if it results in the worst consequences ever." Lightning replied, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

SOLDIERs. Did none of them possess any sanity?

Autumn snorted. "Tell me about it. Are you even aware of all the times he's gotten us both into trouble with Angeal? I thought taking on a horde of Bandersnatches was bad, but then he had to go and sneak into Angeal's dorm out of curiosity, and then proceed to break his potted plant he loved so much.

"We were doing training exercises and simulations for five hours straight for two weeks. And menial labor around the SOLDIER floor. I _still _haven't completely forgiven him for that particular punishment."

Just as quickly as the tension came to build and cloud up the room, it dissipated with the brunette's spontaneous mirth and stories she told the uninterested Sergeant.

Lightning sighed, not finding the heart to snap at her like she'd been only minutes before. She didn't particularly favor Gains, but in all honesty she was the better option in terms of sanity to converse with from the 1st Classes in SOLDIER. Once, she'd attempted engaging the General in a conversation, only to quickly realize he was as uncomfortable with socializing as she was with being called by her real name. Lightning avoided speaking one-on-one with him since then.

But Gains was still so young, it wasn't right for her to be her superior. She didn't have enough wisdom yet. There was only so much a kid could learn at her age, after all. Lightning recalled when she was sixteen, and compared to her experience and knowledge now, she definitely wouldn't have been qualified to fill a demanding rank such as Sergeant. So being a 1st Class and almost reaching the rank of Commander was something Lightning couldn't condone in Gains' case.

Even now she was proving her right! Here she was, rambling off about random stories linked to Zack's frustrating ability to get into trouble instead of investigating Hollander's disappearance!

"Sir, I don't particularly care about whatever nuisance 1st Class Fair caused prior. What I do care about is tracking down and reobtaining Hollander. The sooner he's back in our hands, the better."

Autumn sobered, coughing away her embarrassment and standing tall (as tall as she could at her lesser height) before Lightning. "Of course, Sergeant Farron. You are dismissed. Next time, do try to keep your temper under control. Nothing will benefit from bickering. I hope the next time we meet, we can work together productively and peacefully."

_"I feel so badass right now, oh my gosh." _she thought triumphantly, biting back a smile. She didn't want to make this any more unpleasant than it already was.

The pinkette gritted her teeth, forcing herself to swallow her pride to salute to her much younger superior. "It won't happen again...Sir. And yes, I agree."

"Also, please refrain from calling me 'Sir'. I'm not a male, Farron."

"Then what shall I call you?"

"Either ma'am, Gains, or just my name. Sergeant Farron...Lightning...I know. I know it's weird to have me as your superior, and you're probably thinking I don't deserve it," The brunette started, her voice surprisingly soft and gentle, much to Lighting's surprise. "But just know that you won't have to feel that way for much longer."

Lightning quirked a brow, befuddled by her statement. She chose not to question it; she could take a hint. She knew Autumn wouldn't be explaining any time soon.

"You are dismissed, Sergeant."

Oh thank _Gaia_.

The pinkette gave her an incredibly fast and curt salute, then walked away faster than Autumn thought was possible from the lounge. The brunette sighed in relief, sinking back onto the nearby leather couch. It gave way to her added weight, making small groaning and squeaking sounds in protest. She tiredly dragged a hand over her face.

"I did _not_ need this at 7 AM. It's only been ten minutes and I already want to go back to dreamland."

"Tell me about it. Shinra's been working all of us pretty hard."

She jumped slightly at the new voice, snapping her head to spot Kunsel grinning at her. "Gosh dang it, Kunsel! When'd you get here?!"

He chuckled, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning on to plop down next to her. "Just now, but I'm holding this victory against you for eternity."

The brunette growled a little, leaning back into the couch. "I let my guard down for a second, okay? I thought you were all on missions."

"Yeah, we are. I just got back from mine. I see you had a little..._chat_ with the Sergeant," Kunsel shivered at the mere mentioning of her rank, "She was the CO of Zack and I's platoon. Luxiere, Sebastian, Essai, and Jace were the other members. Sometimes I think she holds herself responsible for Sebastian and Essai's deaths. Like she didn't prepare them enough, y'know?"

Autumn bit her lower lip, finding the floor more interesting. "Yeah...I know what that's like. I can't blame her, and I can't blame her for feeling so angry at SOLDIER either."

Kunsel gasped dramatically, bringing a hand to his heart in disbelief. "_You_, the famous Sakura Gains, can't blame someone? Maybe Genesis isn't the only one degrading."

The brunette glared at him, shoving him a bit roughly. He snickered, resting his elbows on his knees. "Hey, considering how you usually are with people that can rival your temper, I'm surprised the Sergeant isn't cleaning the floor with her face right about now."

"Pft, yeah right," she snorted, "Farron is years ahead of me and can take on SOLDIERS without hardly breaking a sweat. I'm not entirely sure I could beat her in combat. Maybe if it was hand-to-hand, but when she has her gunblade...I'm not sure."

The 2nd Class was speechless for a moment. "Who are you and what've you done with SOLDIER 1st Class Gains?"

"Am I really that reluctant to admit it when someone's better than me?" Autumn asked dryly, rolling her eyes.

Kunsel sighed, turning his head to look at her despite the fact his helmet covered his eyes. "Sakura, the Sergeant isn't better than you by a longshot. That's just your insecurities of being at a higher rank than someone close to your skill level at such a young age."

"Ouch. Brutal honesty is indeed brutal."

"Hey, I don't mean it as an insult," he argued, "I'm just saying, the Sergeant isn't perfect, nor is she better than you. The two of you are actually pretty similar."

She made a face in response. "She and I are _nothing_ alike!"

"Uh huh, sure."

"We're not!"

"_Riiiggghhtt_."

"Ugh! Whatever!" Autumn growled, throwing her hands up in defeat as Kunsel smirked. "I still don't see it..."

"The two of you beat yourself up over the _stupidest_ reasons ever. You take the deaths of your comrades so personally you'd think they were related to you. You both hate getting emotional, but you have certain soft spots despite your Ice Queen exteriors, you-"

"Wow, okay, I get it. I really didn't realize we had that much in common." the brunette frowned, a bit uncomfortable with the discovery.

"Yeah, well, I believe you can still kick her ass. I'd totally bet on it, too. Zack would definitely lose, just because he still fears her so much." the 2nd laughed, with his female friend joining him.

"Thanks, Kunsel. I appreciate the esteem boost. Wait...you said Jace was a platoon member of yours? I've never heard of anyone like that in Shinra before."

Kunsel froze, his muscles tensing in a way the brunette hadn't seen before. She expected nothing positive from his reply.

"He...Jace was...he wasn't cut out for the army, honestly," the 2nd Class admitted with a sigh, "He was too much of a softy. He didn't even want to kill monsters; felt too bad about taking a life, even when it was in self-defense."

"So why did he join in the first place?"

"Jace came from a proud district in Midgar: _all_ the boys were heading to Shinra to become strong army men. His parents pressured him into joining, and it didn't help they're Shinra employees, either. So he joined."

"That's so messed up..." Autumn murmured, gritting her teeth in ire.

Kunsel chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, that's what we all thought. The rest of us-everyone else in the platoon, that is-looked out for him. Covered for him, got him to take the least dangerous positions, stayed with him to practice overtime, all that army brothers stuff. But, uh...the Sergeant-who was a Commanding Officer at the time, obviously-was extremely hard on him, as were his parents."

"I don't like where this is going..." the brunette 1st whispered, wringing her hands anxiously, "...Kunsel, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I understand these kinds of stories: sometimes they're just too difficult to tell."

He shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. It's all in the past, anyways. As I was saying...Zack and I especially felt responsible for him, since we were the oldest members of our platoon. One day, after a grueling mission, Zack forgot something in his locker. I think it was his apartment key or something.

"I waited for him outside, since we lived pretty close to each other and didn't want to dorm in the Shinra rooms anymore. I heard screaming and shouting, so I rushed back in to see what was going on, and..."

Autumn reached out to place a hand over his clasped ones propped up on his knees. Her glowing sapphire eyes held comfort. It was something Kunsel wasn't accustomed to. She usually had her walls up, fortified to prevent any sort of human compassion from seeping out.

"...I found Zack on his knees, cradling Jace's body. The makeshift noose was still around his neck, and his lips were bright blue," he continued, releasing a shuddering breath, "We dashed right over to the doc's, the ones in Shinra, but we were too late. He died on the hospital bed before the CPR could take effect."

"Good Gaia...Kunsel, I'm...I'm so sorry."

What else could she say after hearing such a horrific story?

"After that, Zack blamed himself so much he was about to quit Shinra altogether and go back to Gongaga," the 2nd added, sighing heavily, "But we convinced him to stay, somehow. I guess we never really thought about how much we meant to him, especially with such a crappy CO-don't tell the Sergeant I said that-and with what happened to Jace. "

A pang of guilt stabbed at Autumn's heart. She'd forgotten how much Zachary genuinely cherished his friends. Despite everything, even after betraying her trust and his commitment to her sister, he still had a good heart. She knew that, but forced herself to disregard it. Even when pushing him away for his own good, part of her rejected it.

She groaned, throwing a glare at Kunsel. "Please don't tell me you told me this story just to pull at my heartstrings so I'd make up with Zachary."

He chuckled, a little too cheekily for her liking. "Honestly, I forgot the point. You asked, and I answered with a long ass story. Take it how you want to, but I'd like to think that some kind of point got across. Not everyone in Shinra is fighting because they want to."

Autumn glanced away, retracting her hand to stare at her palms forever stained in the blood of innocents. "Yeah...I know."

He patted her on the back. "Welp, this was the longest I've _ever_ spoken with you, and honestly I'm kinda disappointed it was filled with a depressing backstory about one of my infantry buddies. Let's not make this a normal thing, deal?"

The 1st chuckled, shaking his hand firmly. "Deal."

As Kunsel started walking away, the brunette decided to let her curiosity get the best of her. "Hey, Kunsel..."

"Hm?" he halted, craning his neck to somehow see her out of his helmet visor.

"...what was Jace's last name? I might want to relay the story sometime. Y'know, to keep him alive somehow." Autumn chewed her lower lip nervously behind her mask, wondering if she'd requested too much.

"Oh. Uh...I think it was...Bates? Yeah, his name was Jace Bates. I want him to live on somehow too, even if it wouldn't be his wish...it's mine. Thanks, Gains. And thanks for listening." Kunsel grinned, exiting the SOLDIER break room.

He didn't get to see her face slowly morph into horror, or her skin pale, or bear witness to her trembling.

"Jace...Bates...?"

Her mind flashed back to the assault on the Shinra building, in the meeting room with Rufus.

_"My father...he agreed with Hojo to begin an experiment regarding the Jenova cells and mako energy. They, by pure luck, discovered someone with similar abilities to an Ancient, but not entirely. His name was Zane Bates,"_

_'No...' _Autumn thought in dread, _'They...they can't be related!'_

_"They took Zane and performed test after test, hoping to achieve the next super-soldier: A soldier to rival Sephiroth's prowess..."_

_"Zane's psychological state was becoming an increasing concern. They terminated the project, all of the documents and research, and was believed to have terminated Zane as well..."_

"Did his unstable psychological state have anything to do with his brother's suicide? If that's true, then it's a direct link to Project Z and all of the crap happening recently. He helped AVALANCHE accomplish their goals for a while, and now Genesis. What's his angle? Why hasn't he killed me yet?"

Autumn was good, and could even fend off Sephiroth for a while, but Zane was still superior in skill. Plus, she was nowhere near the SOLDIER operative she used to be. The torture performed on her warped her mental state, and possibly drained her of some of her superhuman strength.

If there was one thing she knew for certain, though, was that Zack must _never _find out about Jace's psychopathic brother. It'd kill him inside, and she didn't need another useless SOLDIER to deal with.

_'...Is that really how I see him?'_

After Kunsel's story, she wasn't even sure of that anymore. She needed a distraction.

"That 'CONFIDENTIAL' file should do it," she muttered, and sped off to busy herself with more work instead of reflecting on her feelings.

Oh how she'd wish she could've spent more time doing just the opposite. So much would've been solved if she'd just taken the time to _think_.


	12. Burning Candle

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 12: Burning Candle**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII CC, but I DO own an awesome little Cloud figurine, courtesy of a friend for a birthday present last year.**

_"He was the last thread suspending me in the light. Without him, I can feel myself spiraling downward, falling to a place where I can no longer pull myself back up." _-Marie Lu, _The Young Elites_

* * *

**Cloud**

He wasn't sure why he was getting sent on so many missions as of late-not that he was complaining-but he hoped no one had caught onto what he did in his spare time.

It wasn't like it was scandalous or anything, but it'd raise some questions and rumors neither he nor Autumn wanted getting spread around. After all, why would a 1st Class bother with a infantryman like him? But the blond loved spending time with his best friend after being parted for so long, especially with the added bonus that he was getting closer to becoming a SOLDIER.

Autumn told him if they continued his training and worked on his materia (and more importantly, getting into the mindset of a SOLDIER), she'd recommend him for the SOLDIER program.

Honestly, he was a bit embarrassed he depended on her so much. He always had, even back when they lived in Nibelheim together. Cloud could still close his eyes and see the fierce little spitfire that randomly popped up one day, protecting him from the bullies plaguing his life.

She taught him how to stand up for himself, and that someone _did_ care about him. A lot. In return, he showed her how much it meant to him. He became her friend, her loyal companion, and they learned what friendship was together. When one fell down, the other was there to help them back up. Sometimes it was Autumn, other times it was him.

One thing that always bothered him, though, was while she was friends with both him and Tifa, she never tried to act as the bridge between them. Sure, he wasn't crushing on her anymore like he did back then, but he still would've liked to get to know Tifa better. Whenever he asked about it, she scowled and said she didn't want him around Tifa's other friends.

Apparently they'd all been hopeless cowards chasing after her in hopes of dating her someday. But he found that out the day on the bridge...

Cloud shook his head. That was the past, he needed to focus on the present.

He trudged through the doors from the roof elevator, exhausted from the mission he just completed. Recon wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Sarrel and Tyler trailed behind him, making light chatter as they ventured into HQ. They were all exhausted, and Cloud decided he'd probably crash in the barracks instead of making his way home. He was too tired, didn't feel like paying a cab, and didn't know what to cook. Since, well, cooking had never really been his thing.

"So Strife, you think you'll get recommended for the SOLDIER program soon?" Sarrel queried, bounding up to walk beside the blond.

He shrugged. "I hope so. I'm not that confident, though."

The auburn-haired teen sighed loudly, slinging an arm over his comrade's shoulder. "See, that's your problem. You don't believe in yourself! What kind of superior is gonna let an insecure Private lacking confidence into SOLDIER? The way I see it, buddy, you've gotta be more assertive."

Cloud glanced at him in uncertainty. "You think so?"

Sarrel nodded fiercely. "I know so, dude. Someone that knows the extent of their skills and displays confidence in themselves is gonna be suggested for SOLDIER over someone wondering if they've got what it takes. Don't you agree, Ty?"

Tyler made a noncommittal noise. "Well...I mean, you also have to be actually tough, and not just physically."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean you have to be strong in both mind and body to survive the procedures. Jason was always the most cunning out of all of us, and the most mentally and emotionally stable; at least according to the shrink. His physical strength could handle the extent of the procedures, but it's his grit that pulled him through. Get it?"

"Uh...not really." Sarrel replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Of course you don't. Things like this never fail to fly over your head." Tyler sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Tch, whatever. It ain't my fault you're speaking all philosophical and shit."

"I do. Thanks, Ty. I'll work on that." Cloud smiled while they headed to the locker room to shower and change.

"Yup. Man, I'm so beat. That mission was harder than they said it'd be." The brunette groaned, rubbing the back of his sore neck.

The other two quickly agreed, proceeding to the showers. They were all equally eager to relieve their aching muscles with the steaming hot water.

"Wanna grab somethin' to eat from the cafeteria after this? I don't think any of us have enough energy to make anything ourselves. If...any of us even know how to cook." Sarrel suggested.

The brief silence that followed was answer enough.

"Sure, why not? It's not like I'm in a hurry to get home." Tyler agreed, stripping down to his shirt and boxers.

Their eyes went to Cloud, who shyly tucked his chin into his scarf again. "I'm in."

"Alright! It's a plan!" The teen cheered as they all hurried into the showers for some time to themselves.

* * *

**Autumn's POV**

I stood in the data room, searching for the classified file. But when I went to look for it, it wasn't where it was supposed to be. Confused, I carefully searched through the endless rows of files under the Science Department label.

One thing I loved about the data room instead of that labyrinth of a library was everything was incredibly organized. There weren't just labels; there were labels under the labels for different topics and categories and then it got even more specific so it was usually very easy to find what you were looking for.

This one, single file, however, appeared impossible to track down. I searched under Hojo's name-since it was his project-to no avail. Then again, Hojo didn't tend to tolerate failures unless they led to his desired results in the end.

Despite knowing Rufus told me all of the data and files were supposedly erased, there was no way Farron could've encountered a ghost file or something of the sort. It had to be here, somewhere.

"Ah man, this is gonna be another late-nighter. Maybe I should go to the cafeteria for some coffee or something..."

While I had the incredible endurance of a SOLDIER, I hadn't been sleeping well for weeks. The circles under my eyes had darkened, becoming more prominent against my light skin. Visions came to me more frequently as the days passed, plaguing my sleep with dying screams, clanging swords, and cyan eyes burning with an intense hatred.

I didn't want to believe the visions. There was no way someone as socially awkward and caring as Sephiroth could ever snap like that. He didn't even do it when everything with Genesis and Angeal happened, whereas I'd been at the end of my tether.

No. The visions were wrong. It wasn't possible. But...on the off-chance they _were_ right...I should at least know where it takes place. All I saw for the most part was fire and blurry houses. Maybe I could interact with the visions; try to make sense of them.

I laughed to myself, hearing the faint murmurs and obscure whispers of the Planet, even in the Shinra building. Maybe it was just because of my re-connection to the Planet that I was considering something so crazy. I'd been actively avoiding visiting the church for that very reason. The voices were always loudest there, as they were for Aerith.

"I'll figure it out later. File~where are you?~" I asked quietly in a sing-songy voice.

It took a couple of hours, but I finally found it. While normally such redacted or classified files were strictly off-limits, being a 1st Class that did her job right (until recently) had its perks. I sat at one of the pristine tables, opening the file.

To my dismay, several lines were covered in lines of black ink, but I caught words like "Bates", "Classified", "Possible Ancient", and "brother", to piece it together. Please, I decided to exit the data room and call it a night. I'd relay my findings to Farron tomorrow in person to avoid any taps or alerts.

I smiled tiredly, saying goodnight to the poor 3rd Class forced to take the night shift and guard the data room. Somehow my feet managed to carry me to the cafeteria, which was in its final hours of service for the night.

Lately I felt so drained. It wasn't just from the lack of sleep or the grief I still felt over killing Angeal. I was so angry and frustrated and worried all at once while working around the clock, something inside me was weakening. I'd say it was my soul if I believed in that sort of thing.

If I did believe in souls, mine would be the wick of a candle, and the fire eating away at it was all of the chaos happening in my life, with my body slowly melting into a puddle of wax as a side-effect. At least, that's what I perceived it to be like.

The mere thought of flames sparked flashes of my visions to play out behind my eyes, where no one else could see. I flinched, shaking my head in an attempt to ward off the grotesque scenes.

I stopped in my tracks when I glimpsed Cloud, Sarrel, and Tyler all sitting at one of the various tables, chatting casually and munching on their food.

Their eyes shifted to me as I went up to the server, requesting a cup of decaffeinated tea instead of coffee, hoping it'd help me sleep easier and drive away the nightmares/visions invading my dreams.

"Hey, look who it is!"

I rolled my eyes, turning to face them while I waited for my tea. "'Sup?"

"What're you doing here so late, Sakura? It's almost 1 in the morning." Tyler asked, gazing at me in obvious concern.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"We got back from a mission late and decided to just sleep in the barracks tonight. None of us are up to making it home."

"Ah, I remember those days. Oh wait, it was pretty much every day when I was in the infantry because of those sexist pigs that decided to make my life a living hell."

Sarrel sighed loudly, making it more dramatic than it should've been. "Oh c'mon, that was _years_ ago. Besides, we helped you out half the time when we could. And it all worked out in the end, didn't it? You're technically above all of 'em in terms of status at this point."

I shot him a half-hearted glare, thanking the server for my finally ready tea. I decided to sit down with them against my better judgment, waiting for my scalding hot beverage to cool and added some honey, stirring it with a provided stirring stick. I inhaled the soothing aroma of chamomile, feeling my alertness start to fade.

_Stupid._

_You're so pathetic._

_How can you lead them on like this and pretend everything's going to stay the same?_

_You're such a disgusting piece of crap._

I couldn't bear their stares anymore. My eyes trained onto my hands wrapped around the cup, feeling the warmth seeping through the container. The voices in my head, my negativity, were only getting worse. I told myself I'd pull away from everyone, and here I am, engaged in conversation with them.

_You can't do anything right._

_Angeal would be so disappointed._

_What happened to your plans to leave?_

_Just leave already!_

I felt my jaw clench, forcing back the storm in my head. "Yeah, sure. Thanks again for helping me out before, guys. I owe you more than I've paid back."

Tyler sent me an exasperated look while Sarrel took this opportunity to abandon his seat next to Tyler to plop down next to me, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"Weeell, if it's payment you're talking about, then you can always-"

I tried not to blush out of embarrassment, attempting to shrug off his persistent arm. "Uh, no. Whatever you were about to say, no. Don't even try finishing that sentence!"

_Yeah because that's _so_ witty._

_Tifa or Aerith would've come up with something clever, why can't you?_

_Some powerful, emotionally stable SOLDIER you are, getting flustered over a lame flirting attempt._

_'Dammit, shut up!'_

He sent me a suggestive smirk. "What? What'd you think I was gonna say?"

"Something you usually say whenever an opportunity comes your way! Something like, 'you should totally come over to my place' or 'I can take you out and show you a _real_ good time'. Honestly, your mouth runs faster than your brain can catch up to it." I answered, lowering my register to mockingly imitate him.

Sarrel pouted. "Aw c'mon, I'm not _that_ terrible of a date."

I lifted a brow. "Are you kidding me? Your approaches to flirting are as terrible and embarrassing as Reno's."

"That Turk?" the infantryman made a face. "Ugh, of all people to compare me to, why that asshole?"

"You know him?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

He rolled his eyes at me. "It's kinda hard not to. Flamboyant idiot likes to annoy anyone he comes across. Plus, we...kinda took flight lessons together. I was _this close_ to crashing a f**king chopper we had to test out if it meant never listening to his crap anymore."

"Seriously? Since when do Turks and Infantrymen take flight lessons together?"

_Why do you care?_

_'Ugh, I need to stop getting myself further involved in conversations. Mental note: don't ask questions to continue talking to people you're supposed to be distancing yourself from.'_

"Since our bosses thought it'd "build character" and "strengthen the relationships between departments". Cuz that _always_ turns out great." Sarrel replied, using his fingers to quote the repeated words, shaking his head in disgust.

"I think the problem is you guys are too similar to get along."

"Me?! Similar to _that_ freak of nature? I am a natural kinda redhead, but _that_ hair? It's gotta be dyed; the fake. I'm offended you'd say such a thing."

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"Hey-"

"Oookay kids, don't kill each other now. I know we're all a little tired, but try to keep it civil." Tyler cut in, struggling to keep a straight face from his silent laughter, if the shaking of his body was any indication.

"Yes, Mother Dearest~"

"Sarrel I swear to the Goddess-"

"Oh shit! Tyler _swearing_? Is the world ending?"

"I am _this close_ to making you eat your-"

"Pfft, I thought you wanted to keep things civil? Maybe we should just let the eldest lead the charge here." I cut in, snorting with laughter as Tyler sent me an annoyed glare, even as a smile crept onto his lips.

"Don't you dare gang up on me here, Sakura. We both know that if age mattered and Sarrel was in charge, I'd have quit a long time ago."

"Damn, is it 'Pick On Sarrel Day' or something?"

"Every day is 'Pick On Sarrel Day'. Guess you just didn't get the memo." I smiled cheekily.

He growled, shoving me lightly and causing me to bump shoulders with Cloud, who was not only remaining silent thus far, but also had a reddened face for some reason.

I knew he was shy, but why would he be shy around me?

"Sarrel! You've gotta be more careful. You almost made me knock over Choco-Head here."

As expected, he flushed a deeper shade of red that reached his ears as Sarrel and Tyler exchanged confused looks. They simultaneously started snickering.

"Choco-Head?"

"Yup. Because his hair is like a Chocobo's!"

"How long have you been calling him that?" Sarrel asked between gasps of laughter.

I grinned. "A while."

My childhood friend hid his burning face in his face. "You said you'd never tell anyone!"

"Weeell I lied."

He groaned, burying his head in his folded arms, attempting to shield himself from our teasing. "You're evil, that's the last time I trust your word."

"Hey, in my defense, you never made me promise anything per-say. I was intentionally vague with my wording."

"Oh yeah, so you remember when you were in the hospital for, like, two weeks?" Sarrel queried, his hazel eyes locking on me.

"Dude, I've been trying to _forget _it. And the events leading up to it. It's interfering with my work ethic. Why?"

_Stop being so friendly!_

"Right, my bad, could've had a little more tact with that. Well, you got kinda..._mushy_ in there. Since you wouldn't let Cloud outta your sight I'm guessing you guys know each other, reunited, and we're finally off the hook? No more weirdness?"

"Oh there is still much weirdness to be had," I laughed, forgetting my usual strict self with better vocabulary, "but what do you mean, 'off the hook'?"

_'At least the negative thoughts have retreated...for now.'_

All three of them stiffened, with Sarrel covering it up by laughing nervously. His poker face seriously sucked.

"What?"

"You know what!"

"I dunno what you're talking about, must've misheard me."

"Sarrel, I'm not an idiot."

"Seriously I d-"

"I asked them to keep my identity from you." Cloud suddenly interjected, staring at his hands in shame.

I gaped, silence hanging in the air for a moment. I felt my face contort into a you-seriously-went-through-all-of-this-trouble? face, both irritated and confused by Cloud's desperation of hiding himself from me.

"...what."

"She didn't even phrase it as a question," Sarrel whispered, apparently entertained by the development occurring.

Cloud didn't meet my eyes, deciding his plate of crumbs and bits of left over food were more interesting. "I didn't want you to see me until I made SOLDIER, so I could finally be the strong person I promised you'd meet later. I...I didn't want to disappoint you."

I felt something inside me snap. It was unexplainable, especially considering it was Cloud of all people. But perhaps due to the incredible amount of bullshit I'd been dealing with the past several months, hearing this was just the icing on the cake.

Disappoint me?

DISAPPOINT ME?

My hand was as fast as lightning, striking his cheek with a bit of SOLDIER force. His head snapped to the side, and then he remained frozen, absolutely stunned.

Tyler's and Sarrel's jaws dropped, gawking at me in astonishment.

"Ohh shit..." I heard Sarrel whisper.

"Sakura, why did you...?"

The hesitant query Tyler sent me went over my head. I couldn't think straight, couldn't comprehend what I was doing.

I sat there, my hand inches from his face after I slapped him. I was not only the Ice Queen in that moment, but ice itself. I felt cold and hollow and unable to move.

The red haze blurring my senses cleared, leaving me to fully grasp at what I'd just done. I slapped Cloud. With more force than necessary.

What was happening to me?

_But he didn't have faith in you._

_He was too worried about saving face to think about what kind of person you are._

_He should've trusted you and how much you care!_

Taking a deep breath, I used my Curaga to take away the undoubtedly remaining sting on his cheek. The angry crimson faded to a light pink, prompting the blond to lock eyes with me.

I could only hope he could see how sorry I was.

"I...I didn't mean to go that far. I don't know what came over me. But listen here, Choco-head. You know I usually never hit you unless you deserve it, right? You remember at least that much about me?"

"..." Cloud was quiet, but nodded, still avoiding my eyes.

"I can't believe you'd ever think I'd see you as pathetic or anything lower if you didn't make SOLDIER. I worked my ass off to make it, and even then, I pushed myself so far I puked. The janitor got pissed..."

"That was _you_?" Sarrel snickered, earning a heated glare from me.

"Anyways, how could you ever disappoint me? You've done a lot so far, and I heard about your encounters with AVALANCHE and the Ravens. You'll get to SOLDIER eventually, stop worrying so much and believe in yourself."

Finally, he met my eyes. Bright cobalt blue met my unnatural glowing sapphires, and for not the first time I felt a bit self-conscious about them. His face was full of doubt and suspicion.

_He's not going to forgive you. _

_You're such a monster._

_'Shut. Up.'_

"But I've been turned down every time. I don't think I'm that strong...how can I be?"

"Cloud. You would risk your life for a stranger; I know you would. You'd kill to defend if it came down to that. But you're merciful, and that's harder than killing relentlessly. I think you'll become even stronger than Sephiroth someday. Besides, I'm a 1st Class. If you keep working hard at it and believe in yourself and your strength, I'll personally write you a recommendation."

His cobalt blue eyes-the ones I've always loved and admired-widened considerably. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

I couldn't help but smile, gently patting the cheek I slapped. "Who do you take me for? We're best friends for life, Choco-head. I'd do anything for you. But I'll only recommend you when you're truly ready, or else I'll be putting your life in danger with the enhancements. It's a painful process, and there's a reason why no other females have survived the procedures yet."

There it was. The bond between us requiring no words to understand each other. He nodded, and I nodded, and then I pulled him into a hug despite the fact we had two spectators. His grip on me tightened. I heard him whisper the words "thank you", despite the fact I didn't need him to say it to know he was grateful.

"Silly Choco-head. You don't need to keep thanking me. I'd do this over and over again, if it meant helping you make your dreams a reality. But promise me one thing? Never try to hide from me-or get help from other people to do so-ever again. I don't care how embarrassed or humiliated you feel. Best friends don't hide from each other. Promise?"

"...yeah, I promise."

"Good. If you hadn't agreed I would've slapped you again."

"Haha...wait really?" Cloud's laugh sounded both nervous and slightly amused.

"...nah, probably not. I would've been mad at you, though."

I felt him sigh in relief as we continued our hug. I wanted to stay like this forever, with my face pressed into his shoulder inhaling his scent and our arms wrapped tightly around each other. I felt like I was in my own safe haven, where nothing from the outside could touch me.

I could feel all of the negativity and self-deprecating thoughts leave my body, as if they were simply components of the air I breathed that couldn't be used, left to return to the atmosphere once I exhaled. Whatever was happening to me, it all disappeared when I was with Cloud.

It wasn't a definite solution, but at least I had a way to rid myself of them for however temporary it was.

"Uh...I'm not entirely sure what just happened, but I don't think we should be here watching all this mushy stuff go down." Sarrel remarked, regarding us with disgust.

Tyler grinned, backing off from Cloud. "Well, glad to see the two of you getting along. I never took you for a country girl, Sakura."

"Oh yeah," I replied, pulling away from my best friend, "Cloud probably told you all about how the two of us grew up together, didn't he?"

"Not everything, but he mentioned it. How'd you go from mountains and small towns to paved roads and a massive city?"

I shrugged. "I wanted to join SOLDIER. A change in scenery was the least of my worries. Right, Cloud?"

He flushed, but smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah, it's not that hard to adjust. Besides, pretty much every guy our age was leaving to join the military."

Out of nowhere, a head-splitting pain stabbed at my brain, causing me to double-over. White clouded my vision as the worried calls of my friends faded away, replaced with the cries of the dying and the pops and crackles of hungry flames.

No.

NO.

_NO._

* * *

**Vision**

I stood amongst the carnage of the same massacre plaguing my dreams, seeing houses get devoured by fire.

_'Okay, focus. C'mon, you didn't survive the mako procedures just by working out and training! Concentrate.'_

The blurred location eventually sharpened enough for me to make out the details of the houses and the environment. Wait...I know these structures.

There was only one place I knew with these kinds of houses.

Was that...a water tower?

No, it couldn't be.

Dread pooled in my stomach like a freezing, sickening weight. I felt cold despite the sweat-inducing heat spreading across the town. Smoke entered my lungs, causing me to hack away.

There he was again, standing tall and menacing with the Masamune gripped in his left hand. Crimson trickled down the glinting metal, the blood of innocents dripping off his weapon.

Sephiroth's silver hair billowed from sporadic gusts of wind, his cyan eyes glowing with bloodlust.

I heard someone-their voice disoriented in my hazy vision-cry out to him. _"Why?! Why did you do this?!"_

His lips curled into a cruel smile as a response. There was something else in his eyes; something foreign. It was an insanity that almost felt like it belonged to someone else.

Then he turned away, abandoning the village which he so brutally destroyed without mercy. The smoke filled my eyes, turning everything black.

* * *

**Autumn**

She panted, feeling out of place when she realized she was back in the cafeteria, surrounded by Sarrel, Tyler, and Cloud. She lifted her head, feeling beads of sweat line her forehead.

Her hands were still on the sides of her head, only brought down by a distraught Cloud.

"Sakura? Sakura, can you hear me?"

"...Nibelheim..."

"What? What about Nibelheim?"

The 1st Class snapped out of her daze, recollecting herself. "Nothing, sorry for worrying you. I got a headache."

They all stared at her seriously.

"Sakura...you didn't respond for a good five minutes there."

She rose calmly from her place at the table, withdrawing from all of them as she grabbed her mug of chamomile, finishing the soothing beverage. "It's nothing to worry about. I have to get going."

Ignoring their calls of protest, she hurried out of the cafeteria and into the elevator. As it began its descent, she leaned against one of the steel walls, lightly banging the back of her head.

"...shit."

She shouldn't have listened to them. She shouldn't have sat down with them. Why was she suddenly so terrible at putting a wall between herself and others?

And then there were the visions. Not only were they becoming more frequent, but now they were occurring when she was awake.

Not. Good.

At least she found out it was Nibelheim. Even though part of her wanted to panic at the thought of the town she grew to love so much burning to the ground along with its people, she needed to keep a cool head. Freaking out would solve nothing. Discovering the location was progress.

She needed a plan. Maybe she could ask Sephiroth to take her along if there were any upcoming assignments in Nibelheim. Sephiroth...

"I can't tell him he's the one." Autumn muttered, fearing she'd only worsen the outcome if she revealed such delicate information to the General.

The elevator dinged and she stepped out to the main floor, only to be noticed by the very silver-haired 1st Class she watched cruelly decimate an entire town minutes ago.

A small smile lit his features while he walked over to her with inhuman grace. "Ah, Sakura. Are you headed home for the night?"

She forced a smile, feeling a bit on edge around him. "Oh, hey Seph. Yeah, I was planning on walking, but..."

"Allow me. Would you like me to drive you?"

That caught her off-guard. "Drive? You have a car? I thought you lived here."

He chuckled. "No, actually, I do not. I prefer not to remain in the building longer than I have to. I was actually about to go to the parking lot to drive home to my apartment."

_Don't do it._

_He's going to kill everyone you love._

_He's going to destroy the town you adore and grew up in._

_Don't trust him._

_'I need to trust him. He doesn't have a lot of people who do. Maybe I can change it if I just help him through all of this.'_

"Sure, thanks."

Silently, they meandered to the Shinra parking lot a level below the main floor. Sephiroth pulled out his key, walking over to a sleek silver car ten feet away.

Autumn whistled in appreciation of the beautiful car. "Dang Seph, being General really does have its perks."

Humble and gentlemanly as ever, he opened the door for her before going around to start up the car, locking the car doors shortly after.

"Actually, I bought it myself. I did not want people to think Shinra favors those in higher positions. While they do have advantages, they require more responsibility and time. I saved for a long time to buy this vehicle."

The brunette threw aside her discomfort and mistrust to edge a smile at him. "How noble of you."

He frowned. "I am not sure if that is a compliment or if you are once again using sarcasm."

She chuckled. "It's a compliment, I promise."

It was silent as he drove her to her apartment complex, but the brunette ensured he didn't do anything wrong by teasing him about his private confidant she knew he must've found, since he seemed to be faring better. It caused the usually collected General to blush-if but a little-as he attempted to cover it up by calmly stating she would never find out.

Once in her apartment, she fed Buster, threw on a t-shirt and shorts, and lied on her bed. She sighed, running a hand down her pale face.

"What's wrong with me?"

She didn't think she was at the end of her tether. It took a lot more than busy days at work and complicated friendships to rattle her like this. She _never_ lost her cool at Shinra. Ever. And yet, she ended up slapping her precious Cloud.

Wait...her precious Cloud?

Oh geez, she was starting to sound like an obsessed, crushing high schooler. Ew. Getting all flustered over a guy was the last thing she wanted. But...Cloud wasn't just any guy.

Her PHS rang. When Autumn checked the I.D., it was the said blond she was trying her hardest not to completely fall for. Normally, she'd just ignore it at this time of night and text him the next day, but...she had an apology to make.

"Hey, Cloud."

_"Hey. Um...you stormed off so quickly I didn't have a chance to see if you were okay or not."_

Elation at his concern and irritation at how everyone apparently assumed she'd break whenever something happened clashed inside of her. "I'm fine, Cloud. I promise. So, about my slapping you..."

_"I get it. I was so obsessed with becoming SOLDIER and proving myself to everyone that I forgot that someone already believes in me. I shouldn't have hid from you like I did, or forgotten how you really are. I know you'd never look down on me because I haven't made SOLDIER yet, that was just...well, honestly, it was insecurity talking."_

"No, stop that. It isn't all your fault. I shouldn't have lost control like that. I know I run hot and cold, but I usually assert more self-control at work. I'm sorry for slapping you, and with some of my SOLDIER strength to boot. That was a bitch move. I guess I'm feeling a little burned out."

_"I was surprised you did it, but I _did_ deserve it. I've already forgiven you, Au-Sakura."_

_'I really don't deserve you, Choco-head.' _Autumn mused, feeling incredibly guilty.

"Thank you, Cloud. I need to sleep, and so do you, so how about we talk more tomorrow?"

_"Sure, I'd like that. Goodnight, Sakura."_

A genuine smile spread across her features. "Goodnight, Cloud."

She managed to find a bit of peace falling asleep, content after speaking with her best friend. But her dreams were a different story.

* * *

**A/N: SO SORRY THIS IS LATE! I've been dealing with a lot both personally and uh...other things. Anyways, I haven't given up on this or any of my other fanfics! I'll continue to update, I promise.**


	13. Sister Bonding

**The Inevitable Crisis**

**Chapter 13: Sister Bonding**

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII Crisis Core, no matter how hard I wish it.**

_"...We had exactly one sister apiece. We grew up knowing the simple arithmetic of scarcity: A sister is more precious than an eye."_ -Barbara Kingsolver

* * *

**Autumn**

"No, wait, don't use the-"

A blast of ice shot out to freeze on the massive, shut wooden doors, a layer of mist coating it. The sapphire-eyed SOLDIER sighed, crossing her arms.

"...Blizzaga."

Aerith clasped her hands behind her back, facing her fraternal twin with a sheepish smile. "Oops?"

The brunette 1st Class sent her a slightly exasperated glare, despite the rays of bright sunshine filtering into the somewhat crumbling church and the bed of flowers behind her. The voices were so strong here: a multitude of cries from the souls circulating the Planet in the Lifestream, jammed into her head and swirling around like false snow in a snow globe.

At least she wasn't wearing her uniform. Today was one of her rare days off, so she decided to finally keep true to her word and train Aerith in materia. That meant instead of pauldrons, belts, turtlenecks, and sweats, she wore an off-shoulder light blue shirt and white shorts stopping at the middle of her thighs. She still had some of her equipment, like her extra little bags and pockets that stored her fighting gloves, materia, and accessories. Her guns were strapped to her waist hanging off their holsters, and her hiking boots hid her little knives. Old habits die hard, as the saying goes.

"Aer, I told you, you can't start out with something that dangerous without learning control first. Keep working on Cure. Then we'll move up to Cura, and then Curaga. I already gave you all three materia, so let's take it slow."

The chestnut-haired flower girl sighed, ejecting the Blizzaga materia to replace it with Cure. "Fine. But it's so boring!"

Autumn lifted one corner of her lips up in a half-smile. "I know you think using your powers like Healing Winds is sufficient, but utilizing materia uses a different form of energy from your body, called 'mana'. When you've used up Healing Winds or something similar, you can switch to materia instead. Or potions. Anyways, focus on the curing abilities of the materia, and imagine healing yourself."

Her sister pouted. "But I've been doing it since this morning."

"Yeah, without my guidance. I don't care if you think doing it yourself is better; I've had extensive experience with materia, and it's always better to learn from a professional."

She grumbled a little, eyeing the glowing green orb. It got brighter as she concentrated until a shimmering green covered her entire body. It lasted for a few seconds, then disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Good. Now try making it last a little longer. Sometimes the wounds can be more serious and it'll take more umph."

Aerith giggled, puzzling her protective sister. "I say something funny?"

The flower girl smiled brightly and in amusement. "When was the last time you said 'umph'?"

Autumn quirked an eyebrow. "Is that really important right now?"

Her green-eyed twin frowned, clasping her hands behind her back out of habit. "Sis, I'm grateful you're teaching me how to use materia and everything...but you _do_ know I'm your sister and not a soldier to train, right? It doesn't have to be all serious."

A tired sigh escaped the 1st's full lips. "Right, sorry. Sometimes it's hard to flip the switch. My visions aren't helping things, either."

Aerith smiled understandingly, taking a seat on the pew closest to their well-kept flower bed and patting the spot next to her. Autumn smiled back, sitting down beside her.

She didn't sit as lady-like as her innocent twin: one foot rested on the opposite knee, bouncing lightly every once in awhile. Her arms crossed each other, a finger tapping her opposing forearm. Her back rested comfortably against the back of the pew.

"So, I assume you wanna take a break to talk, right? What's on your mind?"

Aerith studied her sister, taking in their differences. "How much did SOLDIER change you? The last time I saw you, you managed to sneak in when we were about twelve; a year before you joined. You weren't like this."

Autumn locked eyes with her, evidently confused. "Weren't like what? A little too serious? C'mon, you know I've always been the more serious one out of the two of us."

The chestnut-haired teen shook her head, tossing around her curled locks. "No, not serious. More like...hardened."

It was like the light got sucked out of her glowing sapphire eyes the minute the final word was dropped. Autumn glanced away, shifting uncomfortably.

"It's difficult not to harden to some extent when you join the army, Aer."

"But Zack isn't like that at all."

"That's because Fair's never stopped to think of the consequences!" the brunette snapped harshly, causing her sister to jolt and tense up.

Realizing she'd startled her, Autumn took a deep breath to calm down and grabbed Aerith's hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that. It's just...he was in a very different position than I was in."

"How? Because you were the first girl?"

A dry, bitter laugh escaped her throat. "That was a big reason, yeah. You don't know half of the discrimination that happens in the army, Aerith. I was punished daily to the point I passed out. I was mocked, spat on, and the victim of merciless, immature pranks. I had to set an example, so I couldn't just challenge them to a fight or tell them to go to hell. Even when I did fight them, they wouldn't fight fairly."

Aerith cocked her head, a curious, inquisitive nature sparkling in her eyes. "So what did you do?"

"I saved their asses on missions and showed them up." Autumn grinned victoriously. "Aside from being a girl, there's certain protocols all soldiers-whether from the infantry divisions or SOLDIER-have to follow. We need to act in an orderly manner, with discipline and strength. You can't expect people to follow you as a leader if you don't step up. I _had_ to harden, Aer. How else was I gonna go places?"

The flower girl squeezed her hand. "I don't know...I guess it just scares me a little. Seeing you so powerful and strong and hardened...it's like I'm looking at a completely different person sometimes."

Autumn gently pulled her hand away, crossing her arms again and lifting her head back to stare at the high ceiling. "I'm sorry. I never meant to scare you. But people change, Aer. It's a naturally occurring thing. Cloud isn't the same prior to joining the military, either. I'm sure Fair isn't.

"What we go through on a daily basis...they aren't things normal people would be able to handle. I'm given top-priority assignments and high-level clearance for a reason. I went through hell to get to where I am now, believe me. But it made me stronger, and I like the person I am now. I don't regret becoming this way. But I regret some of the things I let myself do along the way."

Aerith hesitated a moment, terrified of the answers she might receive. "...like what?"

Autumn didn't reply, leaving her twin waiting with bated breath. She turned her head to lock eyes with her, glimpsing the fear and anxiousness in her glittering green eyes. She couldn't bring herself to keep staring into those eyes, feeling unworthy.

"...I don't think you'd like the answer to that, Aer. I've done some horrible things for Shinra."

"Try me. It can't be as bad as anything Zack's done."

"Fair is naive and childish. He hasn't led all of the troops I have. He isn't a public figure or an expected leader. You wanna to hear about my past crimes? My sins? I've gone to Wutai several times in the past year with infiltration units and strike teams, leading the charge every time. I had squads and teammates to direct and protect, all while taking down the enemy. I had to make tactical decisions and stay sharp and aware in enemy territory. What do you think that forced me to do?"

Aerith paled, swallowing thickly. "I...can't imagine. I don't know what I'd do."

Autumn uncrossed her arms, setting both her feet down to rest her elbows on her thighs. She laced her fingers together, pressing her face against her balled up hands and leaning forward.

"No, you can't. And I won't go into the specifics with you because of that very reason. No matter how understanding you try to be, you can never fully comprehend what I've had to do unless you've been in a similar position. Which you won't, since it's what I protect you from. You know what? I've blamed and hated myself for a long time for liking myself and what I do. I hate myself for liking the thrill of a fight. I hate myself for being in this position. But that's unproductive. I-"

She paused, chewing on her lower lip. "No. Never mind. You wanna hear an example of what I've seen and done? How's this: one time I attempted to reason with a Wutaian operative during one of my missions in Wutai. He was beaten and disarmed, but he killed himself by a hidden, lethal poison stashed between his teeth. I could barely get a word in before it happened. Sometimes I just can't save people, Aerith. No battle is ever black and white."

For once, the voices weren't as bothersome. It was as if they sensed the shift in mood, with seriousness and grimness of reality filling the room in the form of a thick smog, slowly suffocating the twins with its severity and weight.

Aerith trembled a little, quickly getting to her feet in a fluid, graceful motion that reminded the troubled brunette of a ballerina. "I don't want to hear any more. Can we, um...can we get back to my materia training?"

Autumn sighed in frustration, jumping to her feet as well, her hands clenched at her sides. "Damn it Aerith! Then don't ask questions you aren't ready to hear the answers to! Fair has gotten a taste of what battle and war are really like! Even he's come to realize it's not as simple as cutting down opposing forces. You can't just ask me questions about my job and expect something good to come of it!"

"You think I don't know that? That the world isn't fair or easy?" the flower girl murmured in a quiet, calm voice, turning to face her sister with hurt in her emerald irises. "When we escaped the labs, and Mom got shot down, and we barely made it out, I knew that too. I'm reminded every time a Turk shadows me, every time Tseng drops by, every time Shinra stays at the pinnacle of power in this city. I'm not that naive, Sis. It's just...it's different when I think of my own sister - my protector and best friend in the whole world - killing people!"

The 1st's features softened as she forced her walls down. What remained behind the strong, impenetrable walls she'd built meticulously around herself was a wearied soldier, tired of making the hard calls and tough decisions. She didn't have as much sway as Sephiroth, but she could still put in her two cents. Not that Shinra was really willing to listen, but they had to due to her popularity and rising status.

She slowly walked over to the flower bed, gently caressing the petals of one of the lilies. "I chose this life. I chose the life of a soldier and as a protector. It means I don't have the luxury of sparing whoever's hiding behind the barrel of the gun I stare down. In an ideal setting, one where it's just mercs or gangs or something that can listen when they know they're beat, I'd talk them down. But war? You don't get to pick and choose your battles. It's me or them, and I chose me. I spared who I could. There weren't many, but I tried. I blame myself for everyone who's died around me, under my command. It's a dark and haunting path, but it's the one I've chosen all the same. Some day, Shinra will regret ever creating SOLDIER as I burn it to the ground."

The dark promise in her glowing sapphire eyes was intense enough to make Aerith shiver. Goosebumps riddled her porcelain skin, chills running down her spine. Even though the look wasn't directed at her, the chestnut-haired girl couldn't help but tremble before such a powerful, intimidating person. How much had her sister changed? She used to laugh joyously frequently, speak confidently, and drive onward with bright determination.

Now her laughter was scarce in between, her words a bit sharp and to the point with a new, matured confidence, and her determination burned so fiercely it terrified her. She didn't want to be scared of her sister, but she couldn't help it. Not when she looked like that.

She wanted to ask, "Why?", but the word wouldn't leave her lips. They both felt uneasy, and both knew why. Perhaps there was no point in asking, aside from a yearning for closure to hear it from her directly.

Autumn gazed back at her sister, catching the horror, confusion, and shock in her shimmering emerald eyes. She glanced away, unable to stare at her any longer. She'd never seen Aerith so shocked before. The 1st wondered just how much she'd changed to make her look at her in such a way. But she wouldn't apologize for it. Change was necessary. And it wasn't like everything changed about her. She was just as devoted to Aerith and protecting others as she'd been before joining the military.

She wished she could've negotiated her way out of every fight, save every last comrade, protect every single innocent civilian. But unfortunately, just because she got superhuman abilities, didn't mean she was invincible, nor unstoppable. She tried her best, she really did. Maybe she could've done better in some situations, but in war, all the lines became so blurred. Autumn still didn't side with Shinra nor did she condone what they'd cornered Wutai into, but the Wutaians were a proud people. Many fought to the death, and if they were spared, they'd take it as an insult and kill themselves. It was something Aerith could never, and shouldn't, understand.

The brunette suddenly realized how genuine her words really were. She was tired of feeling sorry for herself and hating herself and feeling like she didn't deserve anything good in her life. She did. Her torture made her paranoid, sure, but it didn't break her. Killing Angeal didn't break her, either. She knew she was slowly recovering from it. And now, she accepted her fate as a soldier who enjoyed the thrill of the fight and taking down the enemy, whether that was through negotiations or more drastic measures.

She liked having so much power and using it to help people. She was even beginning to appreciate her glowing sapphire eyes. The 1st Class realized, upon looking back, she'd always wanted green eyes like her sister or beautiful blues. Now she did. And she liked them. It was like the pressure building inside of her released upon her self-acceptance, leaving her weightless and unburdened.

The expression on her treasured sister's face made her lose her intensity, sighing heavily as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I...didn't mean to go that far. You didn't need to know that. Nor do you need to hear about the things I've done. But Aerith, I'm still your sister. I love you and I'll protect you until I die. I won't apologize for who I've become. I like the strong person I see staring back at me in the mirror. I'm just...going through a lot right now. Maybe we should continue this another time. I didn't mean to upset you."

There it was: the spark of stubbornness that ran strongly through their genes. Her sparkling emerald eyes ignited with a determination to spend more time with her sibling. She frowned, shaking her head fervently.

"No, I refuse to give up after a little tense talk. I'd like to think we're both tougher than that," she argued, teasingly and lightly elbowing her sister, "and I really want to be able to start using Blizzaga sometime soon. Please, can we continue? Pleeassee?"

Aerith gazed up at her with big, sad eyes and delicate hands clasped together. Despite being utterly invincible to the puppy eyes of Zachary Fair, actual puppies, and annoying cute children that occasionally asked her for money or some other crap, Autumn felt herself cave at the sight of her sister's pleading expression.

She smiled a little, placing a hand on her hip. "Alright, alright, I give. We'll continue, but only for as long as you're capable of handling the materia. I only have so many ethers on me."

The flower girl's arms shot upward in victory. "Yes! Thanks, Sis!"

_'Goddess, I just can't say no to you, can I?' _Autumn mused, her smile widening as she helped Aerith train with the Cure materia.

A few hours later, Aerith was tuckered out and they called it a day. They sat beside one another on the pew closest to the flower bed, hands intertwined as they slumped against each other.

"Thanks, Sis. This means a lot to me."

Autumn snorted, glancing at her sister who decided to use her left shoulder as a pillow. "What, materia training? It's better than having you run away screaming every time something's after you. It's nothing, I just want you to be safe is all."

"Ugh, you're missing the point again." Aerith sighed, rolling her eyes in exaggerated exasperation. "I meant spending time with me!"

"Oh," the 1st Class replied unintelligibly. "well, I enjoy spending time with you. You're the only sister I've got in the entire world, and no one I'd rather hang out with. We're in it together till the end, you hear me?"

"Yeah, I do." The flower girl answered, hugging her sister. "And I'm sorry for earlier."

Autumn tensed. "It's fine. I know you had no idea what to expect, and yet I told you some of it anyways. No civilian should learn that kind of stuff, especially not from someone they love."

Aerith looked up at her, scowling. "I'm not a civilian! Well, okay, maybe technically I am, but I shouldn't have judged you like that. I really can't imagine how hard it must've been, and prying without seeing if you were okay with it first is something I regret. I still love you, I just...didn't think."

"Yeah, well, to be fair, neither did I when I replied. Let's just lay it to bed and forget about it, okay? I could never be mad at you for it anyways."

"Seriously?"

"...okay, so maybe I'd be pissed for a while, but-"

"No cursing! You'll make the flowers wilt!"

"Shi-uh, I mean, right, sorry. But I could never hate you or hold it against you for more than a day. I don't think there's anyone in existence that could."

"Awww, thanks Sis." Aerith giggled, poking her in the side.

To her surprise, Autumn instantly jumped and jerked away, clutching her side with wide eyes. "Eeep!"

She tried really, _really_, hard not to laugh. The 1st Class could see that in the blooming red of her face and zipped up lips in her effort not to laugh. But as her body trembled, she nearly busted a gut with all of her guffaws over the girliest sound she'd ever made.

"D-Don't laugh! Aer, I'm serious! And don't do that ever again!"

"Oh what, thiiisss?" Aerith quickly lunged at her to poke her side again, only to have her nearly fall out of the pew in her rushed escape.

Autumn covered her sides with her hands protectively. "Stop it! I'm serious!"

The flower girl merely continued her laughter and her pursuit of her twin to poke her once more. The SOLDIER shrieked, dancing away from her sister's outstretched fingers.

* * *

**?**

_The mind is such a fragile thing. One push over the edge and that person will never be the same. Interesting, how a human's entire being, and what creates their unique individuality and sense of self, hinges on such a seemingly insignificant thing._

_And how easy it is to manipulate._

_If one possessed enough influence to, say, infect an entire race with a crippling disease that caused their minds to decay until they ended up destroying each other, then said being would have the key to planet-no, _galactic_-domination. _

_My children will prevail over your pitiful pawn, Minerva. I shall lay waste to this planet just as I did the last, and the one before, and the one before._

_You cannot call me a monster for desiring to fulfill my purpose. You could not come close to understanding it. It is outside your realm of comprehension._

_I am more powerful than you can ever hope to be. This time, you will not triumph over me. I have a new pawn as well that will present your chosen one's head on a pike, and the events shall continue to play out as they should, with every last one of your "heroes" falling to the ground as empty corpses._

_I will succeed. I will regain my full strength and drain all life from this disgusting planet. Then the cycle shall continue, as it is meant to._

_Do you know how I know? Because you made a blunder in giving yourself your new pawn: you gave it free will. Now she is close to joining me. I will seize and control her mind, which was made much easier due to her decision to get injected with my cells. If only you had not granted her such a gift; then you would not be in this predicament, hm? And even if she resists my control somehow, I shall simply destroy her, as I have her sister in the past._

_I can already hear your approaching laments for when your pawn fails. _

_Her vexation and hatred are culminating nicely. The fact that she possesses a rather horrid temper at times is only further benefit. Zane shall act as my vessel and lure her over to my side, and then it shall be three superhumans against your pathetic little band of renegades. _

_Tell me, Minerva: how does it feel to watch your plans fall apart before they could even come together?_

_Mhmhmh, it is time for me to taste victory, and there is nothing you can do to stop me._

_Nothing...but watch. Helpless and writhing in pain at how little you can accomplish._

_The time is near, O' Powerful Goddess of the Lifestream. Let us see if the spark shall ignite as it has every time before._

* * *

**A/N: SO SORRY! I've been running around and been so busy I've barely been able to post anything but oneshots! And those were for RWBY and Mass Effect...anyways! Very sorry for how late this is. Please favorite, follow, and review! They really make my day and help me continue writing!**


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